A New Beginning
by Smash1992
Summary: When recently widowed and single mother Lucy Heartfilia moves back to her hometown in southern Fiore she wasn't hoping for much more than a simple new beginning for her and her son. But small-town Magnolia has never been simple, so it's no surprise when things take an unexpected turn for the young mother in the form of the town's local vet. Or is he the mechanic?
1. Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Lucy stifled a yawn behind her hand as she drove down the highway. She was starting to regret tell her brother not to fly to Crocus to drive with her and Haru back to Magnolia. Driving for twelve hours straight wasn't the best idea she'd had, especially when she was already tired before beginning the long drive. But, Lucy reasoned, she'd done it before when leaving her hometown eight long years ago. In the very same blue pick-up she was in now no less. She was certainly capable of making the journey on her own, in a manner of speaking.

That, and Lucy didn't want to take Sting away from his pregnant wife, Yukino.

Her sister-in-law was less than two months away from her due date and fit to burst at this point. Lucy remembered when she was pregnant with Haru and how she hadn't wanted her husband away from her for more than a few hours at that point in her pregnancy. She had no intentions of putting Yukino through that either.

Glancing over at the seven year old boy sleeping in the passenger seat, Lucy smiled at the sight. Haru was just too cute when he was asleep, Lucy decided. His short, reddish-brown hair was stuck up on one side of his head where he'd pressed it into his favorite green pillow for the past eight and a half hours, giving him an odd sort of cow-lick look on half of his head. He had droll dribbling from the corner of his mouth into his pillow and every now and then his little nose would scrunch up and twitch in a way that always reminded Lucy of the time when he was a baby.

Watching him, Lucy wondered for the millionth time how her son would do living in a small town like Magnolia after growing up in a large city like Crocus. Haru wasn't as much of a city-boy as his father had been, that's for sure. Lucy had taken him to the park every day from the time he could crawl, and she insisted that their family take at least two, week-long camping trips every year. Both were always some of Haru's favorite activities growing up.

No. Being in the country wasn't what Lucy was worried about. It was the fact that they were moving to a new home when a part of theirs still felt like it was missing. As though Haru didn't have a hard enough time trying to deal with his father's death just over a year ago, now Lucy was all but forcing him to leave his only known home and friends too. It had to be a lot for any seven year old to handle.

But it's for the best, Lucy reminded herself.

After a year without…him…Lucy had decided they needed to leave Crocus. Their once lovely apartment no longer felt like a home with both Lucy and Haru feeling something very important was missing. The final straw had been when Lucy saw Haru's almost lost look as they walked around the city day after day.

No matter where they went, they were both reminded of all the times they shared when their family was…whole, for lack of a better word. But while Lucy was slowly starting to accept her dear husband's death, Haru couldn't. He seemed stuck in his own sadness and that wasn't what Lucy wanted. She wanted Haru to look back on the time with his father and smile and be happy, but he couldn't do that if he wasn't happy at all.

And so Lucy had decided that they would leave the city and start over, just the two of them. A new beginning was just what they needed. That way, Haru could make more happy memories without the weight of his father's ghost hanging over him. And maybe then he could remember his father with a smile instead of a frown. That was Lucy's hope anyway.

Lucy understood how scary it could be to move to a new place, she'd left her small hometown to move to the big city when she was just seventeen after all. But while Lucy had been all alone with no one to rely on, Haru would have her, not mention his favorite uncle and aunt, and soon-to-be cousin in Magnolia. He would be surrounded by family and he would know every day that he was loved. Lucy would make sure of it.

Placing a hand on the boy's back, Lucy absently rubbed small, soothing circles against his dragonized t-shirt while watching the empty highway. It was 5:48 in the morning, not much longer before the sun rose, when Lucy saw it. The same sign she'd often looked forward to seeing during her many family vacations as a child only this time in the opposite direction.

A bright grin spread over the blonde's face as she took the next exit. She knew just how to get their day started. With a little magic. _

Lucy parked the truck at the edge of the cliff and cut the engine just as the soft pinks in the sky were beginning to turn into deep oranges and yellows. The cliff overlooked Tenrou Lake and had a perfect view of the surrounding hills and island in the center of the water. With its amazing view of rising sun and night sky it was one of the favorite spots for the locals to come at any time of day. Thus it had been dubbed Fantasy Point for its almost fairy tale like feel. This early in the morning however, Lucy and Haru were the only ones there.

Leaning across the seat Lucy gently shook her son's shoulder. "Haru. Haru, sweetie. Wake up. I want to show you something."

The boy groaned and buried his face deeper into his pillow. "Five more minutes, mom."

Lucy smiled and gave him another, slightly harder shake. "Trust me; you won't want to miss this."

Haru huffed and pushed himself up in his seat, his head drooping to his chest and his eyes didn't open. Slipping out of the truck, Lucy quickly walked around and opened the passenger door to get her son. Haru kept his eyes closed as he yawned and grumbled about wanting to sleep more. Lucy unbuckled him and carefully lifted him from the truck.

"You're getting heavy," she said. Haru gave a tired chuckle as his head rested on her shoulder. "Am not," he mumbled.

Kicking the door shut, Lucy carried Haru over to the edge of the cliff where a wood fence lined its edge. She sat down at the fence and shifted the boy in her arms so he could look over the lake. Lucy poked his chubby cheek and whispered in his ear, "Open your eyes Haru."

Slowly the boy peeked open one deep brown eye, the same as his mother's, and gasped. The sight he was met with had his eyes flashing open and he sat upright in Lucy's lap, all signs of sleep gone. "Woah…"

Lucy smiled and rested her chin on top of Haru's head as they both watch the greatest sunrise they'd ever seen. As the sun slowly rose over the hills it sent rays of light cresting over the tree tops and down to the valley where the lake was. The heavy mist that rose from the water in swirling spirals was colored a soft orange from the sun's rays. Bits of crystal blue water was visible under the mist, glimmering and sparkling like the lake was dotted with bits of diamonds.

"What is this place?" Haru asked. His voice was barely above a whisper, as though he was afraid if he talked to loud the beauty would be gone.

"This is Tenrou Lake" Lucy whispered back. "I used to come here every year with your uncle and grandparents." She pointed to the center of the lake, "You see that island?"

Haru nodded. Of course he'd seen it. It was impossible not to. Rising from the mist like a beautiful oasis, the island looked like some far off fantasy world floating over the water. The massive tree that towered over all others in the island's center almost looked like a second island as it hovered over the small patch of land. With its extreme height and multicolored leaves it was like something from a fairy tale.

"That's Tenrou Island," Lucy said, hugging the small boy closer to her chest. "Legend says that it's the home of fairies and that they live in the leaves if the big rainbow sakura tree on the island."

Her arms tightened around Haru's waist as she leaned close to whisper in his ear. "They say if you look _real_ close at dawn you can see the fairies wings shimmering in the branches."

Haru frowned and narrowed his eyes in concentration. At first he didn't see anything, but then the sun rose just a bit higher over the trees and he saw it. Hundreds of shimmering speckles suddenly glinted along the rainbow leaves, making the tree shine in a way that could only described as magical.

Haru gasped as he leaned forward to look through the fence, his fingers curling around the old wood. "I see them, mom. They're real just like you said."

Lucy smiled and ran her fingers through her son's hair when he leaned back into her arms. While her husband had always been practical, Lucy had believed there was _true_ magic in the world from the time she was a young girl. To her, fairy tales weren't all fantasy and magic was just as common as science. It only had a better way of hiding. Everything had a bit of truth to it right?

The same stories about dragons and fairies her mother used to tell her were what she'd told Haru when he was younger, and just like her, he hadn't lost his belief in all things magical as he grew older. After his father had died, Lucy had feared Haru would lose that special wonder he'd long held, and for a while it looked like he had.

She released a small breath she hadn't realized she was holding when she saw wonder in his gaze.

"Magnolia is a place full of magic, Haru," she said in a low voice as he craned his head back to look at her. "It's all around, but that doesn't mean it's easy to see."

Haru frowned and Lucy ruffled his hair at the boy's confused expression. "You see Haru, the thing about magic is that you can only see it when your heart is pure. It's hidden so you have to look closely if you want to see it, but when you do…" Lucy trailed off and they both looked back the sunrise before them. "It fills you up and reminds you about where it comes from," Lucy said, her voice soft and light in the early morning air.

"Where's that mom?"

Lucy smiled and kissed the top of Haru's head. "Love, Haru. Magic takes on many different shapes and forms, so it looks different to everyone, but it all comes from love."

Haru blinked up at Lucy with wide eyes. Lucy ran her fingers through his hair before turning back to the lake. Haru watched his mother with wide eyes, curling up closer to her warmth and softness as the wind began to pick up. She had a small smile in her face as she watched the sunrise, her golden hair lifting from her shoulders where it had escaped from her bun as the wind swept over them.

"You'll see magic in Magnolia, Haru. I'm sure of it." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, a faint smirk on her full lips. "You know, I used to search for elves in the forest and fish for sprits in the canals when I was younger."

Haru perked up at the mention of real elves and sprites. "Do you think there's a dragon there?" he asked.

"Maybe," she hummed and tickled his side. Haru laughed and squirmed in her lap until they both settled back to watch the sunrise. Small, identical smiles on their faces. "If there's a dragon out there I'll bet he's in Magnolia," Lucy said after a pause.

Haru turned in her arms until he was sitting in Lucy's lap with his legs dangling over hers and little feet still bare from the car ride brushing her hips. Haru looked up at Lucy with suck determination as he clenched his fists and squared his jaw stubbornly. _Just like his father_ , Lucy thought with a fond smile.

"I promise I'll find the dragon, mom. I'll make sure my heart is pure and work _really_ hard to see magic."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh?"

Haru nodded. "Yep. And when I find the dragon, I'll ask him for a wish."

Lucy shook her head and chuckled. "I'm not sure dragon's grant wishes, Haru."

"'Course they do! And I'll ask him for one."

"And what will you ask of this mighty dragon, my young hero?" Lucy inquired.

Haru's serious expression broke into a wide, toothy grin that had Lucy practically in tears over the now rare sight. It had been far too long since Haru had smiled like that, with genuine happiness in his eyes. "For our family to be together," he said.


	2. Chapter 2: A New Town

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

Chapter 2: A New Town

Lucy was still a bit worried about what Haru had said back on the cliff. When she'd asked him what he meant about wishing for their family to be together he only smiled and said he couldn't tell her, otherwise the wish wouldn't be granted. Lucy hadn't wanted to press the issue either if she was honest, not with Haru finally giving her a real smile. But she had a good idea what he had meant. He wanted his father back.

Lucy wasn't sure what troubled her more. The fact that she had indirectly given Haru the idea he could wish for his father to come back, or how she hadn't even tried to explain to him how impossible that was. And to make things worse, her check engine light came on ten miles outside Magnolia. So much for her truck being indestructible.

 _At least Haru's smiling again. That has to count for something_ , she thought.

Looking over at Haru practically bouncing in his seat as he leaned out the window as far as the seatbelt would allow Lucy found it impossible not to smile. Since they'd first arrived in Magnolia ten minutes ago, Haru had been asking questions nonstop as he looked wildly out the window.

Not that Lucy could blame him. Magnolia was certainly far more colorful than Crocus had been with its all gray skyscrapers and black roads. Magnolia trees, which the town was named for, dotted the streets and nearly every store had large flower boxes under the window sills. Even the buildings were painted bright, cheerful colors.

 _It's more beautiful than I remember._

"Hey mom! What's that place?" Lucy leaned over slightly to see which building Haru was pointing at. While most of the town had stayed the same, Lucy was shocked to see just how many shops had been replaced with new ones. Her favorite burger joint was now a small bakery called "Strauss Free Bakery", much to her disappointment. She wondered if her old friend Levy had managed to open that book store she'd always dreamed about.

Looking at the place Haru was talking about Lucy felt her shoulders slump as she realized the ballet studio she used to attend was now an antique store. There went another part of her childhood. "It's an antique shop, Haru," Lucy said.

At the boy's confused look Lucy tapped a finger to her chin, thinking of the best way to explain it to him. "Do you remember all those stores we used to go to with dad to find some of his records?"

Haru nodded. "Yeah. They smelled weird and all the stuff looked funny."

Lucy laughed. "Well, those were antique stores. They sell all kinds of old things that aren't made anymore. Like records and other funny-looking stuff."

"Oh..." Haru drawled, nodding slowly before turning back to the window. He quieted down after that, biting his lip and twisting his shirt in his small hands the way he always did when he started to think about his father. Not wanting her son's cheerful mood to end Lucy took the next right she came to and headed down one of Magnolia's more extraordinary streets, in her own opinion that is.

Central Lane was lined with thick magnolia trees on one side and a canal on the other that ran right through the town. Fishermen often traveled along the stretch of water that led to the sea and most of the buildings in this area were little shops and fancy restaurants. But the true wonder was Kardia Cathedral. It sat right in the center of the town, towering over every other building around.

It didn't take long for Haru to notice the change of scenery and his brown eyes widened as he leaned across Lucy to get a better look at the canal.

"Woah! Mom! Mom look! There's a river!"

"Canal," Lucy corrected.

"Do you think Uncle Sting'll take me fishing?" Haru asked his excitement back in full force.

Lucy laughed and nodded. "I'm sure he will. Maybe he'll even cook up some fish for you afterwards. Fresh fish is _always_ the best."

Haru whooped and went back to asking Lucy every question he could think of about the new town. Lucy answered each question patiently, finding her own excitement growing to match her son's. Soon they were both laughing as Lucy told Haru about how Sting once tossed a ketchup packet into the road and had the red goop squirt him right across the eyes as a truck ran over it.

Checking her gps on her phone occasionally, Lucy made sure she was on the right road as they left the center of Magnolia and headed to the town's outer limits. Her brother had tried to give her directions to his place but after the third time of him saying "it's by the big bush," Lucy had told him to just give her the address. Honestly, she wasn't sure how her brother had ever managed to find his way anywhere.

Turning down a dirt road that would eventually lead to the lake on the outskirts of town, Lucy couldn't suppress her groan when she saw just _where_ her brother had picked to build his house and business.

The Sabretooth bar and grill looked more like a glorified shack propped up in the middle of nowhere than an actual restaurant. The ugly greenish-blue paint combined with the dark wood and stone made it look older than what it really was.

It sat in a small clearing off the road with massive, moss covered trees surrounded it on every side. Their lush leaves gave more than enough shade around the building and the outdoor seating area was already close to full.

Placed haphazardly around the front were little round tables with two sets of mismatched chairs seated around them. Bales of straw provided extra seating to some tables where families had pulled two or more tables together while having breakfast. Strung up along the edge of the roof were little lights that were still on despite it being nowhere near dark. In all honesty, the place _was_ rather ugly looking, with barely anything matching.

It certainly wasn't the type of place one would expect the son of Magnolia's biggest business man to live. Most had probably expected Sting to take over the family business. But Sting had never been one to follow rules, the man was twenty-three years old and insisted people still called him by his old nickname for crying out loud!

But, say what you want about Sting, the man could cook that's for damn sure.

He and Lucy had often helped their mother cook dinner when they were younger, but while Lucy enjoyed cooking Sting fell in love with it. He'd flown through culinary school at the top of his class, easily capable of running a large restaurant in any city around the world. But he'd come back to small town Magnolia after school and built his own restaurant in the middle of nowhere instead. That, as it seemed, wasn't a bad thing.

Even with it being just past nine in the morning, Sabretooth was quite busy. Old trucks and cars lined the gravel lot next to the building, and nearly half of the tables outside were full of people, mostly elderly couples, eating pancakes, eggs and grits from the look of it.

Haru twisted around in his seat to look out the back window as Lucy expertly parked their truck, mindful of the trailer she towed behind her. "Where are we mom?" he asked as Lucy clicked off the engine and unbuckled herself.

"Remember how I told you Uncle Sting owned a restaurant? Well, this is it," Lucy said with a bright smile as she hopped out of the truck. "You hungry?" she asked.

Haru nodded, already opening his door and jumping out. "Come on mom!" he called, bouncing on the balls of his feet by the trailer.

Lucy laughed and took his hand as they crossed the lot. She couldn't help but close her eyes and take a deep breath of the fresh, if slightly salty, smelling air. Aside from her family and friends, she'd missed the smell of Magnolia the most after leaving. There was just something about how she could always smell the sea even though it was several miles away that made her want to smile.

Stepping inside Sabretooth, Lucy sighed with relief at the wonderfully cool room. One thing she hadn't missed was how hot Magnolia could get in the summer. Inside, the restaurant looked even worse than it did outside, if that was possible.

Yellow and blue lights hung from the ceiling, offering very little light in the back where the sunlight streaming through the large front windows couldn't quite reach. The walls were covered with different posters, signs, boat parts and other typical knick-knacks often found in ocean-themed restaurants, giving the whole place a rather cluttered feel.

The bar lined the front half of the wall to Lucy's left and she could hear sounds coming from what she assumed was the kitchen behind the double doors near the back. She recognized her brother's best friend Rouge behind the bar, cleaning the glasses and putting them back on the shelf. A woman with wavy brown hair dressed in a bikini top and kakis sat at the bar gulping from a mug that looked much too large for Lucy's tastes. How someone could manage to drink so early was beyond her.

Next to the door was a glass box propped up on a fancy wooden stand that held the actual sabretooth Sting had found at Tenrou Lake when he and Lucy were just kids. Tacked to the wall over it was a sign that read "No Pictures Allowed."

Lucy rolled her eyes. Leave it to her brother to think people would want to take pictures of some fossilized tooth. Though, based on how Haru was looking at it with wide eyes maybe Sting wasn't _completely_ wrong.

As Lucy looked around the large room she recognized a few people seated here and there but she couldn't spot that familiar spiky blonde hair or sleek silver belonging to her brother and sister-in-law. She supposed Yukino could have still been upstairs resting, but surely Sting was _somewhere_ in the restaurant. Though, it would be just like her brother to skip out on work, especially if he was pampering his wife.

The double doors suddenly burst open and speak of the devil there he was. Sting stormed out of the kitchen, a deep scowl on his usually cheerful face as he balanced a tray full of pancakes, bacon, eggs, a large bowl of grits, some deep fried fish and a whole pot of coffee on one hand.

He expertly wove through the crowded tables to a booth on the right wall where he set, more like slammed, the plates in front of a very large, and round, man dressed in plaid pants and a high collar white shirt with thick ruffles over the chest and cuffs.

Sting glared down at the man, arms crossed over his chest. "You damn well better leave a tip this time Droy. I didn't bust my ass for you to leave one fuckin' dollar. Again."

Lucy's eyes nearly popped out of her head. _That_ was Droy?! He looked so… _different_ from the last time Lucy had seen him. Two hundred pounds different.

Droy gulped and held up his hands, voice squeaking as he did his best to smile. "N-now Sting. Maybe you should be more polite to the guy who runs the most popular critique blog in town. A good review from me could _really_ help business."

Lucy could see the vein in her brother's forehead throbbing from across the room. Covering Haru's ears, Lucy sighed and shook her head. _This is going to get messy_ , she thought.

Leaning on the table with one hand, Sting bent forward until he was practically in Droy's face. "Hard to type your dumb blog with broken fingers," he hissed.

Droy tugged at his collar, sweat gathering on his forehead and under his double chin. "You w-wouldn't."

Sting smirked. "You'd be shocked what a man'll do for his _family_."

Droy swallowed. "I-I'll leave a tip. A good one!" Sting straightened and narrowed his eyes. "A-and I'll write you a good review. B-but that's just the truth anyway, so…I'll give you a good deal on my vegetables! The best in town, I promise," Droy added with a nervous chuckle.

Sting grinned and clapped Droy on the back, not too gently Lucy noticed. "Atta boy!" he said. "Enjoy your meal."

At that point Haru had noticed his uncle and broke free from Lucy's hold to dash across the room. "Uncle Sting! Uncle Sting!" he called.

Sting turned and his grin widened even more as Haru all but crashed into his uncle's arms. "Hey buddy! How's my favorite nephew?"

"Good. Can you make me some waffles?"

Sting tossed his head back and laughed. "Sure thing."

"With chocolate chips, too?"

Sting scoffed, holding one hand over his heart feigning hurt. "Is there _another_ way to have waffles?"

Haru tapped his chin, thinking it over. "Mom puts berries on hers," he said, little nose wrinkling in disgust.

Sting matched his expression, pretending to gag at the thought of berries on waffles. "Gross…"

"Hey! It's not that gross," Lucy said, lips twitching in an amused smile.

Sting looked up at her and his grin was back full force. "Lucy!" He swung Haru over one shoulder and practically ran across the room, Haru laughing and kicking his feet as he did. Lucy rolled her eyes as her brother pulled her into a crushing hug, her forehead knocking into his hard chin. Since when had her little brother gotten so tall?

"Welcome home, sis!"

Lucy squirmed in his arms. "Sting…I can't breathe," Lucy wheezed.

He sighed and let her go but kept his free arm around her shoulders. "Picky, picky," he mumbled, earning a smack on his shoulder from Lucy.

Despite them having lived in different towns for so long it never ceased to amaze Lucy how she and her brother had remained so close. While most families would have had at least some distance grow between them from living so far apart it wasn't the case for them. Sting and Yukino had always visited for every holiday and often accompanied them on the camping trips and vacations Lucy and her family had gone on.

Never had Lucy been so thankful for their close relationship than when she'd lost her husband. For the first two months without him Sting and Yukino had been right there, helping her, and more importantly, Haru through those horrible days. Lucy wasn't sure what she would've done without them. Haru especially had depended on his uncle more than ever. A fact she was reminded of every time Lucy watched them together.

Lucy smiled up at her brother. "You're going to be a great dad," she said.

"W-what? Where the hell did _that_ come from?"

"Language," Lucy warned.

" _Uncle Stiiiiing_ ," Haru whined. "Put me down."

"Oh, alright," he sighed and dropped Haru to the ground. Placing a large hand in the boy's hair, Sting grinned down at him. "So, waffles was it?"

Haru smiled, trying to push the man's hand from his hair to no avail. Sting just snickered as he turned to Lucy. "What about you, sis? Waffles sound good? Or maybe those crepes you like?"

Before Lucy could answer she caught sight of a familiar face over Sting's shoulder, her smile turning to a smirk as she knew what was about to happen.

" _Eucliffe_. What's this I hear about you _threatening_ our guests?"

Sting paled, his grin slipping from his face instantly at the sound of his wife's angry tone. For a brief moment, his eyes flicked to Lucy's, silently asking for help. Her smirk widened as she motioned for him to turn around.

He did, Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. "Y-yuki!" Sting gave a nervous smile but the woman only narrowed her eyes at him, one hand on her hip while the other rubbed small circles on her large belly. "What are you doing out of bed? Oh crap! You didn't try to call me did you?"

Sting fumbled with his phone to see if he'd missed a call while Yukino lectured him about being rude to customers. Lucy was doing her best to stifle her laughs behind her hand when she felt Haru tug on her shirt. He motioned for her to come closer with quick, urgent waves of his hand.

Kneeling down next to him, Haru cupped his hands around Lucy's ear and whispered, "Whose Eucliffe?"

Lucy turned to whisper back in his ear. "That's your uncle's real name, the one grandma and grandpa gave him," she explained.

Haru's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open in a silent gasp. " _Really_?"

Lucy nodded. "Yep."

"Hey! Don't go spreading that crap around!" Sting protested. "And that's _not_ my name."

Lucy scoffed. "Oh, whatever. Eucliffe is a wonderful name. You should be honored mom and dad named you after grandpa."

Sting crossed his arms over his chest, blue eyes narrowing as a much too child-like pout crossed his sharp features. "It sounds like the name of some priss who went to private schools."

"We went to private schools," Lucy said, her smile turning smug as she looked up at her bother.

Sting opened his mouth to reply and promptly let out a yelp of surprise as Haru shoved past him to Yukino. "Aunt Yuki!"

"Haru!" Yukino opened her arms to the small boy, she really had missed him. It had been too long since she saw her beloved nephew. Luckily for her, now she wouldn't have to go a day without hugging Haru. Her sweet, cute, lovable, not in her arms nephew.

Opening her eyes, Yukino could only blink in confusion at the boy. Haru stood a few feet back, his own arms spread wide like he was ready to hug his aunt but stood just out of reach. "Haru?" Yukino wasn't sure what to make of his odd behavior.

Haru looked over his shoulder at Lucy, bewildered expression making her giggle softly. "Mom? Can I hug Aunt Yuki with the baby?"

Lucy sighed as Sting broke into a laughing fit. "Of course, Haru. Just be careful about her belly," Lucy said.

Haru nodded and gently wrapped his arms as far around Yukino's wide stomach as he could, squeaking in surprise when Yukino pulled him closer. Sting draped an arm around Lucy's shoulder as she stood, sagging slightly so she was forced to carry part of his weight.

"Peach crepes, then?" he asked.

Lucy smiled and wrapped an arm around his waist. "With whipped cream. Eucliffe."

Sting rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah." He pulled back and rubbed the top of her head, snickering when Lucy complained about him messing up her hair and walked over to his wife to place a gentle kiss to the top of her head. "The usual Yuki?"

Yukino nodded, reluctantly letting Haru go much to the small boy's relief. "With extra mayonnaise. The light kind."

Sting nodded and turned to go back to the kitchen, Haru following after him. "Uncle Sting. I wanna help."

Sting glanced over his shoulder. "Yeah? Well then let's get cookin!"

"Uh Haru," Lucy called. "Maybe you shouldn't go into the kitchen."

"Awe sis, its fine. I know the owner ain't got a problem with it." Sting turned to Haru and ruffled the boy's hair. "Common Haru. I'll teach you how to make the perfect omelet."

Lucy sighed and shook her head as she watch the two disappear through the double doors. "He better not start a fire back there," she mumbled, though she wasn't sure if she meant Sting or Haru. The two seemed to get a big rowdy when left alone for long.

Yukino walked over to her and slipped an arm though Lucy's. "Oh, let the kids have their fun," she said, making Lucy snort. "It gives us time to talk."

Lucy smiled and hugged her sister-in-law. "Some girl time does sound nice," Lucy said.

Yukino hugged her back before wincing and pulling away, one hand rubbing the side of her belly. "He kicking you?" Lucy asked.

Yukino nodded. "Yes. He's been doing that more often lately." She looked back at the kitchen, checking to make sure her husband was out of earshot before leaning closer to Lucy. "Don't tell Sting please. He's been so concerned about every little thing I can hardly get relaxed with him hovering over me twenty-four-seven. If he knew how much this kid kicks I'm sure he wouldn't let me out of his sight!"

Lucy laughed, promising she wouldn't tell her brother. Though she did make a mental note to tease him on being so overprotective later. Yukino smiled and started to lead Lucy to a blue door tucked behind the bar. "Wonderful! Now, let's get a seat and have some breakfast."


	3. Chapter 3: A New Mechanic

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

Chapter 3: A New Mechanic

Apparently by "get a seat" Yukino meant she and Lucy would go upstairs to the apartment over the restaurant to wait for their food, not that Lucy was complaining. The apartment was quite spacious, even if it was only half the size of the restaurant below, which wasn't all too big to begin with. The open living room and kitchen took up most of the space, with the two bedrooms down the hall near the back. Thankfully, it seemed Yukino had been the one to decorate the place instead of her brother.

The soft cream colored walls and pale blue furniture helped light up the whole room and gave it a very homely feel that Lucy hadn't realized she missed. It was a stark contrast to the more chic and modern design her apartment in Crocus had, but one Lucy loved more. The place practically screamed relax.

Lucy helped Yukino across the room to her favorite rocking chair, propping her feet up on the plush pillow seated on the coffee table. "How about some tea," Lucy said.

Yukino smiled. "Pitcher's in the fridge."

Lucy nodded and walked to the kitchen. As she passed the small alcove that led to the deck overhanging the back of the restaurant she paused when she saw the damage to the wall. The glass doors were gone and two thick pieces of plastic were carefully taped in their place. The same went for the window that had looked out back from the hall.

"Did you have some damage after a storm?" Lucy asked, turning to look back at Yukino.

Yukino slowly opened her eyes to look up at Lucy. "Hmm? Oh no, nothing like that. We decided that our home was too small with a baby on the way, and with you and Haru able to visit more often," Yukino wiggled her eyebrows at Lucy with an excited grin, "we needed more bedrooms. But, I'm afraid it's still being remodeled, so you and Haru will have to stay on the couch for a while."

"That's fine. After sitting in a truck for so long I'll be happy just to lie down." Quickly pouring two tall glasses of iced tea Lucy left the kitchen and headed back to the living room.

"Speaking of which," Lucy said as she handed Yukino her glass. "I wanted to thank you for letting Haru and I stay here for the time being. I know how stressful it can be with the baby on the way and all."

Yukino waved off Lucy's concern. "Of course you can stay here. You're family."

Lucy smiled at Yukino's simple reasoning as she settled on the couch. She took a sip of her tea and hummed in relief. Some home brewed iced tea was just what she needed after that grueling car ride. "Well, we shouldn't have to stay for more than a few days. Just until the deeds to the house are finalized."

Yukino smiled. I can't believe you and Haru are moving back _there_ of all places." She chuckled and placed a hand to her cheek. "It certainly brings back memories," she said with a sigh.

"I know what you mean..."

Lucy never thought in a million years she'd move back into the house her mother had grown up in. While most of her childhood had been spent at the large plantation her father had built at the height of their family's wealth, Lucy had always favored the little cottage on Strawberry Street she had occasionally visited with her mother when seeing her grandma.

She hadn't known her father had bought the property after her mother's death, keeping its maintenance up even as no one lived in it for many years. She was even more surprised when she learned her father had left the house and property solely to her in his will.

At the time, Lucy was still living in Crocus with her own family so she hadn't done much with the property. And since her father's will clearly stated that until she accepted the house its regular upkeep would continue to be made, Lucy hadn't seen any reason to move her family when they were perfectly happy where they were.

It was things like this that made Lucy certain there was real magic in the world.

"What brings back memories?"

The two women turned to look up at Sting as he walked into the apartment carrying two trays of food while Haru precariously balanced a much smaller tray stacked with more waffles than Lucy could count.

Lucy set her own glass aside and quickly moved over to her son, steadying his wobbling arms before the waffles could fall. "Careful, Haru!"

He beamed up at Lucy, "Look mom. Uncle Sting made all these for me!"

Lucy sent a glare over her shoulder at her brother. "And is uncle Sting going to look after you when you get a stomach ache?"

Sting rolled his eyes as he helped Yukino stand and make her way over to the little round dining table near the back window by the kitchen. "It's fine, sis. Whatever Haru doesn't eat we'll give to Lector."

"Who?" Lucy asked.

Before Sting could answer Haru had grabbed Lucy's arm and started tugging on it slightly as he bounced with barely contained excitement. "Lector's uncle Sting's alligator!"

Lucy very nearly dropped the tray. "W-what?!" Since when had Sting gotten a pet _alligator_? When he'd mentioned he had a pet to guard the restaurant Lucy had figured he'd meant a dog. Not a _freaking alligator_!

Haru nodded. "He's soooo cool mom! And uncle Sting said after breakfast he'd let me feed him too."

"Absolutely not!" Lucy hollered.

Haru whined alongside his uncle for nearly all of breakfast but Lucy was firm in her demand that Haru was to never be allowed within ten yards of the reptilian beast.

"Geez, sis. You make it sound like I've got Godzilla in the back pond."

"You might as well!" Lucy snapped.

Before the two could fall back into another argument over the implied insanity one needed to _own an alligator_ Yukino stepped in and quickly changed the topic. "Sting. Why don't you tell Lucy about the changes you made to her home," she suggested.

Lucy paused in their argument to look between the couple seated across from her. "Changes?"

"Uh, well…" Sting paused and scratched his cheek, suddenly looking far less annoyed and a little more embarrassed. "It wasn't much. I just figured that since the kitchen was a bit outdated you'd want a dishwasher. Forking up the jewel would be better than listening to you whine all the time anyway, so…"

Lucy blinked. She hadn't considered the house might have a few outdated appliances. In fact, from what she recalled the plumbing had been rather limited. The only toilet was the _outhouse_ for Mavis' sake. If her brother had installed a dishwasher, no doubt he'd had to practically redo the whole plumbing and water lines. It couldn't have been cheap.

"Sting…you didn't have to do that…"

He looked at her then, eyes softening. "I wanted to. You're my sister and besides…" He glanced over at Haru to see if he was paying them any attention but the boy was far too immersed in building a castle out of his leftover waffles. All eight of them.

Sting looked back at Lucy. "I didn't pay for all of it. _He_ made sure to send someone down to look over the house and paid for everything to be installed. I just picked out the stuff."

Lucy's eyes lowered to the table, a small smile curved at her full lips. It still amazed her how far ahead her husband had prepared things before he passed, even if his early death had been completely unforeseen. But that was her man. Always preparing things ten steps ahead. She'd thought he was crazy to have his will written up four months after they were married, and to immediately modify it after Haru was born, but it seemed his tendency to over-plan was a blessing in disguise.

By the time Lucy had said her final goodbye, all she had to do was sign a few papers and raise Haru. Nothing easy in the slightest but it was certainly better for her and Haru to grieve without worrying about lawyers calling them at every hour.

He'd taken care of everything, from his will and insurance, to making sure Lucy didn't need to lift a finger when it came to the funeral, but most importantly he made sure she and Haru would be taken care of, in many ways.

His good friend Virgo had offered to help Lucy around the apartment when Sting and Yukino were unable to stay and dear Aries had been a _godsend_ at caring for Haru when Lucy was at work. Really, the fact that he'd gone and had her mother's house fixed up properly for her when he hadn't even _known_ if they would move there or not shouldn't have surprised Lucy in the slightest.

She sighed and shook her head. "I should have known he'd handle something like this," she murmured.

Yukino reached out and took her hand gently. "Lucy? Are you alright?"

Lucy smiled and waved off her concerns. "Oh, I'm fine. If anything, I'm more concerned about paying you back."

Yukino gave a relieved smile. "Don't worry about it. But, while we're on the topic, did you get any word back from the Magnolia Tabloid?"

Lucy sighed and rubbed her temple. With a masters in literature and a minor degree in astronomy, one would think Lucy would have gotten a job at the local newspaper within minutes. She had been one of the head authors for the very popular science magazine Sorcerer Weekly after all. While Lucy was more than qualified to write for a small town newspaper, she wasn't able to start the job until late next month.

She had hoped to have the job lined up by the time she moved down, but with all the recent high school graduates trying to get part-time jobs, Lucy would have to wait.

"I won't start there until next month. That's if I get the job in the first place."

That was another issue with the job hunt. There wasn't a guarantee she'd be hired. What good would an article about the latest astronomical discoveries be in a town where worm harvesting season was headline news? And yes, worm harvesting was a real thing.

"'Course you'll get the job!" Sting said, punching his fist in the air as he spoke and causing Haru to jump and look at the three of them with a confused frown.

"But until then," Sting leaned forward in his chair, eyes practically gleaming and a very creepy grin spreading across his face that had the pit of Lucy's stomach dropping to her feet in worry. "You can work for me sis. With you as the new waitress I'm sure we'll get even _more_ customers than ever before!"

Lucy huffed and pointedly looked away. "Nice to see you're just using me to turn profits."

Sting snickered. "What're brothers for?" Yukino flicked his ear and Sting let out a whine that had Lucy and Haru giggling.

Frowning at his wife, Sting rubbed his sore ear before turning back to Lucy. "Seriously though, it'll be good. Haru can come here whenever you work, won't bother me a bit. And you can make your own hours. And I'll give you the family discount to the whole menu. You and Haru. Whatever you need, it's done, yeah?"

Lucy tossed her head back and laughed, she couldn't help it, as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks. When she finally reigned in her fit of giggles, Haru giving her a worried and confused look, she gave her brother the biggest smile she'd felt in a long time.

"I'm _not_ wearing a uniform," she said.

* * *

The next day Lucy woke up to the blissful sounds of birds chirping, wind chimes tinkling, water gurgling from the nearby creek and…a chainsaw being revved. Damn her brother and his innate ability to wake up at dawn with too much energy.

She groaned and rolled over to shut the window overhead, or at least tried to with Haru half sprawled over her stomach. Wasn't he on her other side when they fell asleep? Lucy grimaced when she felt his drool that had seeped into a good portion of her shirt. With his left arm looped around her waist and right arm still clutching his green pillow even as it twined with hers, Haru had very successfully trapped Lucy on the bed.

The foldout mattress from the couch wasn't very big to begin with but Lucy had hoped it would give them both enough room throughout the night, despite Haru's habit of clinging to everything he touched in his sleep.

Outside, Sting must have finally started the chainsaw because it roared to life with enough noise Lucy swore she saw the window panes shake. Haru only gave a soft snore and turned his head to bury his face in Lucy's shirt.

 _Just like his father. He could sleep through a hurricane too_ , she thought.

It took a good twenty minutes to untangle her son from around her waist and get started on breakfast. She left Haru laying spread out across the mattress, his small frame somehow seeming to take up the whole center, leaving no room for her to lie back down anyway. By that point Sting had apparently decided enough wood was cut as he stomped up the stairs and all but banged open the door. Lucy glared at him from the kitchen window overlooking the living room. Thank Mavis her son was such a heavy sleeper.

"You know, you could have warned me before you started cutting logs this early. What do you need wood for anyway? It's the middle of summer."

Sting gave her a semi-apologetic smile as he rounded the corner to the kitchen, shaking sawdust and woodchips from his hair as he did. "Sorry. Wood's for the grills. Can't make the best burgers in town if you don't have a wood grill."

Lucy sighed, shaking her head as she turned back to the stove where she proceeded to crack open two eggs onto a hot skillet. "I don't see how Haru and Yukino can sleep through that this early."

Sting shrugged. "Yuki's used to it and I _may_ have slipped some cough syrup in Haru's drink last night."

Lucy swatted the spatula at him. Sting laughed and nimbly ducked out of the way. "Whaaaat? I had to do something! Kid wouldn't leave me alone after we fed Lec-" He stopped when Lucy rounded on him with now a second skillet in hand. "I-I mean, I just wanted to make sure you had a good night's rest," he finished with a cheeky smile.

Lucy snorted. "Then don't start a chainsaw under my window at six in the morning," she snapped.

"My window and it's _seven_ in the morning."

This time Lucy very nearly did hit him with the frying pan. Eggs and all.

"Don't tell me you two are fighting already," a soft voice sighed from the doorway.

Lucy and Sting turned to where Yukino stood already dressed in an elegant, light blue dress that accentuated her belly and still showed off her feminine curves wonderfully. She shook her head and walked over to the fridge to pour herself a glass of tea. "Seriously. Sometimes I wonder how you two ever managed to grow up in the same house."

"Big house meant lots of extra space," Sting pointed out as he settled in the chair next to her.

Yukino rolled her eyes and turned to Lucy. "So. What are your plans today, Lucy?"

"Well, yesterday my engine light came on so I figured I'd have to take the truck to the mechanic." She shrugged, "Normally I'd let it be for a while, but after that long drive I figured it wouldn't hurt to get the old thing checked out."

"Do you need me to watch Haru while you're out?" Yukino asked as Lucy set a plate down in front of her and Sting. Her brother wasting no time in digging in to the eggs and bacon.

"No thanks. I was actually hoping to take Haru around town for a bit. We passed through town so quickly yesterday I'm afraid I didn't get much of a chance to show him around. Plus, I think I need to do a bit of sightseeing myself. Well, sightseeing for _Magnolia_ anyway."

Her brother nodded, speaking around a mouthful of eggs. "Make sure you go to Black Steel for the truck. The guy who runs the place is an ass but he can fix a car."

"His new mechanic isn't so bad either," Yukino said. She leaned over to nudge Lucy's side. "Plus, I've heard he's quite the looker, and _single_ too," she teased.

Lucy spluttered on her tea. It wasn't often Yukino made such brazen jokes, she was often too polite and sweet to do such things, but when she did it often left those in the room feeling shocked.

"Y-Yukino!" Lucy gasped. The woman just giggled around her hand while her husband rolled his eyes and smirked at Lucy. Thankfully, Lucy was saved from having to think of some reasonable reply when Haru walked into the kitchen, dragging his green pillow behind him and giving a loud yawn.

"Mom. I'm hungry."

Lucy sighed in relief and stood to walk over to her son. "How about some eggs?" she suggested, gently taking the boy's hand and leading him to the table. While Haru slept like his father, he woke like Lucy, often needing several minutes to fully wake up and feel refreshed.

After breakfast, Lucy sent Haru off to take a bath while she got dressed and folded their bed away. It was nearing nine in the morning when Lucy and Haru made their way downstairs to the restaurant. Sting was already in the kitchen making breakfast for the customers who were already seated around the many tables, despite Sabretooth only having been open for one hour.

Yukino was walking around between the tables taking orders and chatting with some of the customers. Lucy shook her head as she imagined her brother seething over the stove because Yukino refused to stay in bed all day, as he had tried, and failed, to persuade her to do. For as sweet as Yukino was on a regular basis she was quite stubborn when she wanted to be.

Walking out to the truck, Lucy was glad she and Sting had already unhooked the trailer from the hitch yesterday, though the carefully stacked boxes in the bed were still there and covered with a tarp. The mother and son duo hopped in the truck, Haru immediately leaning out the window as they neared Magnolia again.

Following Yukino's directions to the car shop was _far_ easier than her brother's 'It's two streets over from Town Square,' instructions. How the man expected Lucy to know which direction to go in was beyond her when the Square was more of a circle.

Pulling up in front of the shop, Lucy gasped when she saw the metal neck and dragon head protruding from the building's center. It was made entirely from black steel and the skill needed to make such a thing was obvious. Its lips were pulled back in a fierce snarl, revealing its sharp teeth all perfectly lined around its mouth. So this was what Sting had meant when he said to 'look for the dragon'.

Haru had noticed it too and was gaping up at the metal creature with wide eyes, his jaw hanging open in awe. "Woah…"

Lucy had barely parked the car before Haru had fling open his door and jumped out to stare up at the dragon head with bright eyes and a big grin. "Cool! Look mom! It's a dragon!"

Lucy smiled as she walked over to her son's side to ruffle his hair. "I told you there was magic here."

He just grinned up at her and took her hand as they walked to the door. "You think there's a _real_ dragon here, mom?" he asked, his large eyes looking around as though he expected to see a giant reptile lounging in the shade of the trees nearby.

Lucy tapped her chin as she considered her answer. "Maybe. But if _I_ was a dragon I'd be in the woods outside of town," she said, remembering the winding trails that wove through the wooded acres north of Magnolia. Such a place had always seemed more magical than the rest of Magnolia to her.

"Can we go there today?" Haru asked excitedly.

Lucy chuckled. "Let's get the truck fixed first and then we can go dragon hunting."

Haru nodded, his eyes still looking all around for anything that could resemble a mythical creature.

Walking into the small office, Lucy was pleased to see it was already open. She'd been a bit concerned that the owner wouldn't open up until ten like most of the car shops in Crocus. Having a truck that was well over two decades old, Lucy had gotten used to having to wait in car shops for several hours, and with Haru with her the sooner they were in the sooner they were out.

What might have been an easy fix often turned into a mad hunt for old parts that were no longer made, which took up quite a lot of time. She just hoped any old parts needed would be easier to find in a town that was prominently made up of old vehicles.

Despite it still being early it was already quite hot outside and the office was no better, with only a small fan propped up on a stack of phone books behind the counter. Lucy was thankful she was in shorts and light t-shirt but she felt sorry for the men working in the shop who were forced to wear heavy clothes as they laid under hot cars all day.

Looking around the empty office Lucy wondered if the shop really was closed. Maybe the owner forgot to lock up. Wouldn't be the first time someone in Magnolia had done that.

"Hello?" she called, leaning over the counter slightly to peer deeper into the office. Maybe the person was in a back room, but when no one called back she knew the place was empty.

Lucy was just about to leave when she heard a loud bang from the shop. Turning, Lucy's first thought was that Haru had wandered off and gotten hurt and her fears were only increased when she saw he wasn't in the office anymore.

Bolting to the glass door that divided the office from the shop, Lucy practically kicked open the door as she burst into the garage. The front garage door was shut but the one in the back was open, leading to small back parking lot surrounded by tall trees.

A quick glance told Lucy Haru wasn't in the building so she figured he must have gone outside. She hoped that's where he was anyway. Racing for the back exit Lucy mentally kicked herself for not keeping a closer eye on her son. She was so panicked Lucy didn't even notice the man walking around the corner until she smacked right into him.

She let out a startled shriek and braced herself for the fall before someone grabbed her arms and steadied her.

"Careful there," the man said.

Lucy blinked and looked up at the man still holding onto her arms. He had a wide grin plastered across his tanned face, his sharp, onyx eyes bright even as he looked at her in confusion. This close Lucy could even see the small flecks of green in the dark pools. But what really caught her attention was his hair. Bright, think _pink_ strands stuck up in wild angles that seemed to defy gravity even as they poked out from under his ball cap. Despite the odd color, he pulled it off well. His more masculine traits easily balancing the more girly color.

His grin widened as he released her from his hold and Lucy could see his abnormally sharp canines peeking out between his lips as he did.

"You know, you're not really supposed to be back here, uh…" His eyes flicked down to her left hand briefly before raising back to hers. "Miss."


	4. Chapter 4 : A New Catalytic Converter

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

Chapter 4: A New Catalytic Converter

Lucy blinked slowly, not really understanding how she'd ended up in the arms of a stranger. Her brief moment of shock at running into a man with _pink hair_ only lasted a few seconds before she was suddenly back to her panicked-mother state. "You've seen my son, right?" she asked, sounding very close to desperate.

She honestly had no clue why she thought this man would have seen Haru when he was behind the building, but she hoped that maybe he'd seen the child run by outside. Maybe the loud noise had drawn this man just like her and he'd seen her son while he stood over some broken item giving his famous, much too angelic smile he'd learned from his father whenever he was about to get into trouble.

The man paused and seemed to need a few extra seconds to process what she'd said. His eyes flicked back to her hand and his mouth twisted before he shook his head. "No…I've been out back…"

It was then, while looking into this stranger's eyes, that Lucy's panic seemed to double and the first shot of fear pulled at her heart. Her stomach twisted painfully and Lucy felt like she was sinking into herself, like she had when she'd turned around and couldn't spot the tall man with reddish-brown hair over the crowd.

Lucy closed her eyes and shook those thoughts from her head. No. She wouldn't think about that now, not when she needed to focus on Haru. She frantically looked around the back lot for her son but she couldn't spot that familiar head of hair. "My son was with me in the office. I turned around for _one second_ and then he was gone! Where is he?"

He jumped slightly and shifted on his feet. "Uh…I don't know-"

She cut him off to turn and look around the back lot. "Haru! Answer me!" Her eyes scanned the tree line then darted back to the garage, as though he might have magically reappeared. Turning back to the man, who she assumed to be the mechanic Yukino was talking about, Lucy jabbed a finger at his chest.

"Have you seen my son? He's a little boy about this tall, with short, reddish-brown hair. H-he was wearing a yellow shirt with a lion on it! And his shoes light up on the side with-"

She stopped suddenly, her arms, which had been waving around her head frantically as she gestured about her son, fell limp at her sides when the mechanic grabbed her shoulders for the second time in a few short minutes and gave her a slight shake. She looked up into his face, all his cheerful joy was replaced by a serious expression, though his confusion was still there.

"Hey, slow down there. Can't understand ya when you talk so fast."

He cautiously let go of her, as though he was worried she'd start freaking out again if he wasn't holding her. "Okay. Now take a few deep breaths…"

She did, following his motions as he raised one hand when she inhaled and lowered it when she exhaled. It helped calm her down _a little_ and she tried to listen to the part of her mind that reminded her they were in Magnolia. Where strangers treated each other like family and next to no crime ever happened. As much as she wanted to freak out she knew her panicking wouldn't help the situation at all.

The man nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "Alright?" he asked. She nodded and took one last deep breath.

"You said yer son's missin'? Where'd you last see him?"

For some odd reason, Lucy took particular notice of his drawl. It wasn't as thick as some of the others she'd heard, but the way he clipped off certain words while lengthening out others caught her attention. While Magnolia was technically a southern town it wasn't often people spoke with the typical thick accents the south was known for. Her brother didn't have a drawl, nor had her father who grew up even further south than Magnolia.

Lucy had never admitted it before, but she rather liked a southern drawl. Something about it made her feel almost…safe. Like she'd never have to worry if her car broke down on the side of the road because he'd be able to find her and fix it. What was it her mother had called men with southern accents? Good-old-boys. Lucy shook her head to clear her thoughts. What was wrong with her? She needed to _focus_.

"Right. We were in the front office," she explained in a voice sounding much calmer than she felt. "He was right behind me, and then I heard something fall and when I turned around he was gone!"

"Okay, okay," he said and held up his hands. He paused and rubbed his chin, absently spreading some grease and dirt over his jawline. "Well…I threw some old rims in the scrap pile. You think he got scared from that and ran off?"

Lucy blinked. Had this man just asked if her son had run off at some loud noise like a frightened puppy? She conveniently forgot to mention how the same sound made her nearly jump out of her skin, but _that_ wasn't going to help find her son now was it.

Forcing herself to remain calm she looked up at him and practically growled, " _No_. Haru's a seven year old boy. Not a timid _puppy_."

He gave a nervous grin and rubbed the back of his neck, no doubt smearing more grease over himself. "Well, maybe he went-"

"Mom!"

Lucy all but shoved the mechanic aside when she heard Haru's voice. She bolted past him to where her son was walking out from behind…a camper?

"Mom, mom! Look what I found!" he shouted as he started to raise his hands to show her something but Lucy didn't even glance at it as she grabbed Haru's shoulders and frantically pulled him into a hug. Haru's eyes widened. "M-mom?"

"Haru! You scared me…" Lucy pulled back slightly to give him a quick look over, checking that he wasn't hurt. She cupped his face and gently wiped some dirt from his cheek. "Don't ever run off like that again, Haru. Understand. What if something happened to you? How could I find you if I didn't know where you were?"

Haru nodded, his chin quivering slightly at Lucy's scared tone. His mother was rarely scared and Haru knew if his mom was worried it was never a good thing. "S-sorry mom," he mumbled. Haru lowered his eyes and shifted his feet in the dirt.

Lucy sighed, both in relief and to help calm herself down, and pulled Haru back into a crushing hug, kissing the top of his head and rubbing soothing circles on his back. He hadn't meant to scare her, she knew, and Lucy didn't want this little hiccup to ruin their good day so she decided to not dwell on it. Her moment of panic over, Lucy knew she'd overreacted and she didn't want to think _too_ much about why that was. Though she had a good idea.

Thoughts about the last time she'd lost sight of someone she loved came back to mind, and Lucy forcefully pushed them away before they became too much.

"I forgive you," she said and pulled back slightly to look down at him, her expression serious and a little stern. "But we are going to have a talk about this later tonight, young man."

Haru nodded, knowing better than to argue when his mom used _that_ tone. Pulling Haru closer against her, Lucy let out a surprised squeak when she felt something wriggle against her chest and heard a muffled mewl. Only then did she realize that what Haru had been carrying was _moving_. Leaning back slightly, Lucy looked down and saw a small kitten clutched tightly to Haru's chest. And it was blue.

 _A blue cat? Never seen one like that before_ , she mused.

"Who's this?" Lucy asked, reaching out to scratch under the little creature's chin and making it purr.

Haru grinned. "Isn't he cool mom? He's _blue!_ " Haru said it like it was the most exciting discovery one had ever made. As though Lucy couldn't very well see that the kitten was indeed blue.

"You're old teacher had blue hair," Lucy pointed out.

Haru cringed, his small nose wrinkling at the thought of his stern, and often rude, teacher back in Crocus. "Yeah, but she wasn't a cat."

Haru said it like it was supposed to mean something and Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes while Haru carefully stroked the kitten's fur.

 _So that's where he rushed off to in such a hurry_ , she thought. Lucy smirked to herself thinking how that mechanic thought Haru had run off from a loud noise when it was probably why the kitten had run away instead. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she remembered the mechanic. Spinning on her heal, Lucy winced when she saw him trying to get out of a pile of buckets filled with sawdust.

"Oh my gosh!" Hurrying over to his side, Lucy helped the man to his feet. "I'm _so sorry_. I didn't mean to push you that hard. I just saw Haru and didn't think about anything else." She glanced away, a slight blush tinging her cheeks from her embarrassment. "I _may_ have overreacted…" she mumbled under her breath.

He waved off her concern, shaking sawdust from his hair and he tugged off his hat and ran a hand through the pink locks. "Don't worry 'bout it. When my sister got lost at the fair my mom chipped the mayor's tooth getting to the megaphone."

He snickered at some past memory, showing off his sharp canines again and Lucy found herself smiling back, though she wasn't sure why. "Must be a mom thing," he said.

"Yes. I suppose it is."

"Moooom." Haru tugged on Lucy's shirt with one hand still firmly holding the kitten. She turned and looked down at him, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair at his slightly whining tone.

"Yes, Haru."

He raised the kitten up so Lucy found herself staring at pair of large, black eyes and a little pink nose. The little thing yawned and rubbed one white paw over his short nose before licking it and rubbing his eyes. Lucy had to admit, the thing was pretty damn cute.

"If he's blue, do you think he's _magic?_ "

Before Lucy could correct his grammatical error, the mechanic knelt down and gave Haru the brightest, most genuine grin Lucy had seen on him yet. "'Course Happy's magical!" He leaned in slightly and his grin turned a little mischievous. "You wanna hear a secret, kiddo?"

Haru nodded looking just as excited as the man in front of him until his eyes widened and he seemed to remember something. Glancing up at Lucy, Haru reached out and grabbed her shirt again while holding the kitten to his chest.

"Mom says I can't talk to strangers," he stated seriously.

The mechanic blinked and looked genuinely confused for a second before his smile was back. "Ah, that's right." He held out his tanned hand to the small boy in front of him, "Name's Natsu Dragneel. Pleasure to meet ya."

Haru glanced back at Lucy again, unsure of what to do. She smiled and nudged his back. "Introduce yourself," she said.

Haru nodded and turned back to Natsu. Taking the man's hand in his, Lucy couldn't help but smile at how Haru's hand all but disappeared in Natsu's much, _much_ larger one. She did _not_ smile at the grease stains now marring her son's skin, however.

"Hello, Mr. Dragneel. My name is Haru Heartfilia."

Lucy practically beamed with pride at how well-mannered her son was. His father _was_ always going on and on about being a proper gentleman and it was nice to see some of it had rubbed off on Haru. Natsu smirked, and for a brief moment his dark eyes flicked up to Lucy filled with amusement.

"Mr. Dragneel, huh?" He grinned while she only shrugged. He turned back to Haru, "Well, Haru. Now that I ain't a stranger you wanna hear that secret?"

Haru nodded, leaning forward when Natsu motioned for him to come closer to whisper in his ear. "Happy here hatched from an egg."

Haru's eyes widened. " _Really?_ "

Natsu nodded. "Yep. Jumped right out and nearly scratched my nose."

Haru snickered as he looked down at the kitten. Lucy could just make out him whisper something along the lines of 'knew he was magic,' before Happy managed to wiggle his way out of Haru's arms and darted over to the shade of a nearby tree. Haru wasted no time in following the blue kitten, nodding when Lucy told him not to go too far.

 _This_ time she kept a close eye on him as she talked to Natsu. "Hatched from an egg, huh." she said, raising an eyebrow.

He only shrugged as he stood back up. She hadn't realized it before, with all the panicking and _accidental_ shoving, but he was rather tall, his chin level with her forehead. And muscular, from what she could see under his white t-shirt and the plaid shirt he'd left unbuttoned over it. Lucy honestly felt a little proud she'd managed to shove him to the ground.

"Egg. Egg crate. Same thing."

Lucy laughed. "Well, thank you for…humoring him." She looked back at her son happily twirling a blade of grass in front of Happy's nose and laughing when the kitten tried to swipe at it. "Magic and all things with it are Haru's special interest. A little thing he picked up from his mother, I suppose."

Natsu nodded. "And does his mother have a name?"

Lucy felt her neck and ears burn with embarrassment, _again_. Here she'd been so proud of Haru for introducing himself and she had failed to do the same. So much for being a good role model. Shaking her head, Lucy thrust her hand towards Natsu, making him stumble back a step in shock.

"Lucy Heartfilia. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Dragneel."

He grumbled something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like 'not some old man,' before he took her hand in his. The first thing Lucy noticed was how _warm_ his hand was. Honestly, it was like he'd just taken off some gloves. She would have thought he'd be at least a little sweaty from being so warm, Lucy was already fighting a sweat and she was just standing outside (in shorts, no less), but he wasn't at all. It was rather nice, she decided. Like closing your eyes and feeling the sunshine on your face when it was just right.

The second thing she noticed was how ruff his hands were. Not that she was too surprised by that. Being a mechanic, Natsu would obviously have calloused hands and more than a few scars on his palms and fingers. It was a deep contrast to her own soft and delicate hands, something she also found to be nice. Lucy found she didn't even mind the bits of grease that rubbed off on her skin.

Natsu grinned and shoved both hands in his pockets as he rocked back on his heels slightly. "So Luigi. What're ya here for?"

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch. What the hell? Was this guy _trying_ to annoy her? How could he have honestly forgotten her name right after she told him?!

It took Lucy a moment of taking deep breaths before she was confident enough in her ability to _speak_ rather than yell. She still needed him to look at her truck after all, and she doubted he'd be very willing to if she called him a moron. Even if he was one.

"It's _Lucy_ , actually. And I came here because my check engine light came on yesterday." She tapped a finger to her chin as she thought about all the possible issues with her beloved truck. In the many times she'd had to take it to the mechanic, Lucy found it was always best for both parties if she told them what she knew wasn't part of the problem.

"I know the oil's fine, since I had it changed before we drove down, and I don't think it's a bad belt since there's no strange noise coming from it. It might be a loose spark plug. Those things have a bad habit of popping loose from time to time."

Natsu smirked and scratched the back of his head. "You sure seem to know yer stuff." His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked her over closely. "You _sure_ ya even need my help."

His tone was teasing and Lucy found herself smirking right back. "Well, I just figured that since you're already dirty you wouldn't mind a few more grease stains."

He laughed at that, a loud, booming laugh that made Lucy naturally want to laugh with him. "Well, I can't fault you there." He turned to walk back into the garage, waving a hand over his shoulder for her to follow before placing his hat back on his head, this time backwards.

Lucy called to Haru and took his hand before following Natsu back inside. After Natsu had pulled her truck into the garage, he popped the hood and began making the usual checks. Lucy was pleased to note that the first thing he looked at was the spark plugs. As helpful she tried to be, there was the occasional mechanic that thought they knew best and didn't need to listen to her "opinions". It was annoying, but in the end it was their time that was wasted more so than hers.

Instead of waiting inside the office, like they probably should have, Lucy and Haru stayed in the garage. She didn't know if Natsu may need to ask her any more questions but she wanted to make sure she was there if need be.

As she stood there, Lucy's mind drifted back to her overreaction earlier. Now that she thought about it, it was rather troubling, her reaction. She had thought she was moving past her husband's death, or at the very least was over the fear and immense sadness that came with it. It had been months since her last nightmare occurred and Lucy no longer felt the need to constantly check in on Haru just to make sure he was okay. At least that's what she'd thought, but maybe she wasn't as okay as she'd believed.

She felt Haru tug on her shirt again and jumped a little at being pulled from her thoughts. Looking down at her son Lucy saw the boy blinking up at her with wide eyes. Happy was, once again, tucked into the boy's arms, the kitten looking in much need of a nap after an intense bout of playing.

"Mom. Ask him about the _dragon_ ," he whispered.

Lucy frowned. Dragon? What dragon? When Haru motioned wildly to the front of the building she remembered the metal dragon they'd first seen when walking up to the garage.

"Oh. Right." Turning back to the mechanic Lucy called, "Say, Natsu?"

He hummed from where he was under the truck, letting her know he was listening even if he couldn't see her.

"I was just wondering, why the dragon out front?" Haru nodded, his expression the most serious Lucy had ever seen.

"Dragon? Oh, you mean Metalicana? My cousin who owns this shop made him. We named him after my uncle cause he looks just like him when he's pissed." He shifted around on the scooter he was laying on until his head poked out from behind the front tire. He grinned as he looked first at Lucy and then at Haru. "Pretty cool ain't he?"

Haru nodded excitedly. "Mom says there's a real dragon in Magnolia, and _I'm_ gonna find him," he said proudly. Lucy smiled and placed a hand on her son's head.

Natsu adjusted the hat on his head before disappearing back under the truck, only to slide out from under the front and nimbly get to his feet. "Yeah? Well when ya see him, make sure ya tell him Natsu says hi."

Haru gasped and he blinked up at Natsu with wide eyes as the man walked over to them. "You've seen a dragon before?" he asked in awe.

Natsu grinned, pulling his hat off and folding the bill to tuck it into his back pocket. "Seen one? I was _saved_ by one!"

He tilted his head to the side and pulled the collar of his shirt down to expose the thick scar on his neck. It was jagged and looked like it might have been pretty deep. Lucy winced as she thought about how painful it must have been to get.

"What happened?" Haru asked excitedly, and Lucy flicked his ear at his rude question.

Haru whined and Natsu only laughed, seemingly unbothered by the boy's question. "My house caught on fire when I was a kid. I was trapped on the top floor and couldn't get out, but then there was this huge roar and the door burst open with a bunch of fire!"

"Woah…" Haru mumbled.

Natsu grinned and caught Lucy's bemused smile. He winked at her before turning back to Haru. "Yep. And through all those flames came this big _yellow dragon!_ He scooped me up in his claws and jumped out the window just before the house collapsed."

"Cool!"

Lucy rolled her eyes at the man's over dramatic story. No doubt the "yellow dragon" was a fireman, and he probably climbed down a ladder rather than simply jumping. Still, Haru was excited and Lucy was happy he seemed to be enjoying himself in Magnolia so far. But Haru's next statement made her stomach drop slightly.

"I'm gonna find this dragon and then I'm gonna wish for him to bring our family together," he stated with the same conviction he'd shown that morning by Tenrou Lake.

Natsu seemed taken aback by Haru's statement and flicked his dark eyes to Lucy. She quickly glanced away, not wanting to meet the curious and sympathy filled look she knew would be in his eyes. Like it was every time she talked about her late husband. After the slight emotional roller coaster she'd been on that day, Lucy wasn't really feeling like politely explaining what Haru meant.

Clearing her throat, Lucy gestured to the truck. "So, um. Did you find out what was wrong?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Your catalytic converter is out of date. I can replace it but it'll be a day. I've got some other customers coming at two and I have to leave by five."

Lucy felt her shoulders drop as she realized she couldn't take Haru to the woods as she'd promised. Haru seemed to realize this too and groaned. "So we can't go dragon hunting today?"

Lucy sighed and patted the boy's back. "I'm sorry Haru, but we can go to-" Lucy cut herself off when she suddenly remembered that she was supposed to start working for her brother tomorrow. She had no doubt that Sting wouldn't mind if she canceled to spend the day with Haru, but she'd promised and Lucy didn't want to break _two_ promises in a row. One was bad enough.

"We'll go later this week, when the truck's fixed and I'm off work. Okay?"

Haru nodded, but Lucy didn't miss his small frown. And just when they'd been having a good day too. Neither one was aware of Natsu watching them, a soft look in his eyes. Determined not to let her son's good mood fall, Lucy snapped her fingers and gave him a bright smile.

"You know, we still haven't explored the town yet. And I know of this place that sells the _best_ ice cream. Wanna try it out?"

Haru perked up at that. "Okay. Can we go fishing?" he asked as he finally sat Happy on the ground. The kitten walked over to weave his way around Natsu's feet, purring happily until the man picked him up and sat him on his head. Lucy had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at the, admittedly, charming gesture.

"How about we just look for the best spots," Lucy suggested. "I'll leave the worms to your uncle."

Haru nodded, his smile back in place as Lucy took his hand and looked back at Natsu. "Is it alright if I leave the truck here? I can have my brother pick us up in town later so you can work on it if you'd like?"

Natsu shrugged. "That's fine. If you want, you can leave your number in the office and I'll call you when I get the new catalytic converter put in."

Lucy nodded and after leaving her cell number, along with Sting's house number, left the shop and walked down the sidewalk into town hand-in-hand with her son. In no time, Haru was asking question after question in his usual carefree manner and Lucy was happy he seemed to be in a good mood again. But, despite her son's obvious joy, Lucy couldn't stop the uneasy feelings she'd felt after her little…revelation, if you could call it that, about her own feelings.

She'd come home to Magnolia searching for a new beginning and thought it was Haru who needed it most. But, she thought as she looked at her son beaming up at her as he rambled on about catching the biggest fish ever to give to a dragon, maybe it was the other way around.

Maybe _she_ needed a new beginning more than Haru.


	5. Chapter 5: A New Friend

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

 **Real quick, I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for your support and encouragement. It really means a lot to me when I see all the reviews and positive feedback! You guys have no idea how often you make my day! Thank you so much for your support and I hope you all continue to like what I write. Okay, now back to the story.**

Chapter 5: A New Friend

Lucy felt like a complete hypocrite. Here she was trying to bribe her son with ice cream in the hopes he wouldn't be so upset she'd broken her promise when she'd criticized her father for attempting to do the same thing when she was younger. Well, he'd used expensive clothes and fancy cars instead of locally made ice cream, but the idea was the same. Oh how Sting would laugh if he saw them now. She could just picture her brother standing with his hands on his hips and mischievous grin in place as he said those four words that made Lucy want to punch him in the face and wail at the same time.

" _You're just like dad."_

The thought alone made Lucy want to smack her brother over his head with her shoe, like she'd often done when they were little. She had to remind herself that he hadn't _actually_ said anything…yet. Her brother had an almost scary ability to sense when her inner dad-traits reared their ugly head, even when he wasn't around.

She was lucky he hadn't sensed her hypocrisy over the phone when she'd called and told him to pick her and Haru up in town. She figured he was too busy ranting about how annoying and much of a pain in his ass she was to notice. All his whining was futile when Lucy could hear him firing up his '78 Camaro within minutes of her calling him, no doubt dropping whatever he was doing to come get her.

 _Just like when we were kids_ , she thought as she remembered the time she was left stranded on the side of the road the first time her truck broke down. It'd been nearly two in the morning and Lucy was returning from her quick escape to Tenrou Lake after she'd gotten into a fight with their father. She'd called her brother and, despite the fact he didn't have a license yet and they both needed to be up early to leave for school, he'd stolen their father's car and rushed out to get her.

Such love and devotion was why Lucy was so sure Sting would be a good father. He was already a good uncle after all.

She looked over at Haru eating his mint chocolate chip ice cream as they sat in the wonderfully air conditioned ice cream shop. Thank Mavis her son had inherited both Lucy and his father's good eating habits. It would be tough enough getting the grease and dirt stains from his clothes without adding ice cream into the mix. Though, the way Haru was devouring his cone like he hadn't eaten in weeks, Lucy was pretty sure there'd be an end to that wonderful streak.

"Slow down, Haru. Yikes…"

The boy paused in shoving the ice cream down his throat to give her a cheeky grin. "Sorry, mom. This is just the _best_ ice cream ever!"

"Better than your uncle's?" she asked. Her brother may have preferred standing over a grill and stove when it came to cooking, but he prided himself above all else on his homemade ice cream, which Lucy would admit was some of the best she'd ever had.

Without missing a beat, Haru looked up at Lucy and deadpanned, "Yes."

Lucy laughed and licked her thumb to rub off some lingering trails of the green cream from Haru's cheek. He pouted and ducked out from under her hand, mumbling about not being a little kid.

Lucy snickered. "Well it should be. Fullbuster ice cream _is_ the best in all of Fiore."

Lucy smiled as she thought back to all the fond memories she had of getting ice cream after ballet practice with her mother and brother. Silver Fullbuster had always made sure to give Lucy extra chocolate chips and Sting extra sprinkles with their orders. Lucy was actually a little disappointed he wasn't behind the counter when she and Haru walked in. She'd been hoping to see the burly man's usual calm expression turn to surprise when little Lucy Heartfilia walked into Ice-Make after all these years. With a son, no less!

Silver Fullbuster had been good friends with her mother and was her father's personal lawyer, as well as the town's main attorney, until he retired early to open Ice-Make. While he didn't look it with the large scar across his brow that was left from the car crash his first wife passed away in, Silver was a superb lawyer. His calm and composed demeanor served him well in the often stressful court but Lucy liked him best when he was behind the counter scooping out flavors of ice cream for kids as he playfully told some of the worst jokes she'd ever heard.

Lucy had even been the flower girl for Silver and Ur's wedding. She smirked.Now _that_ was a wedding to remember.

Lucy remembered walking down the center aisle in the church holding the hand of Ur's daughter Ultear while they trailed behind Silver's two sons, both of whom had been carrying a ring. The brothers had gotten into a fight, as usual, and in their scuffle had dropped the rings. Right under the organ.

It had taken over an hour to unbolt the heavy instrument from the floor to retrieve them, and by that point Silver and Ur had already said their vows, using pieces of string in place of the gold bands. It was one of the only times Lucy had met the boys and, for once, she understood why her father was so strict on who he let his children be around. Gray and his twin brother Lyon were _certainly_ troublesome, even if they were both good boys at heart.

"We should eat here every day," Haru said matter-of-factly, pulling Lucy from her thoughts.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "And get cavities _while_ hurting your uncle's feelings? I don't think so."

"Every week then?"

"Still too many cavities," Lucy said, shaking her head.

Haru frowned. "How about once a month. And we won't tell uncle Sting so he won't get his feelings hurt."

Lucy grinned at the idea of her and Haru sneaking off into town to get ice cream under her brother's nose. While lying was _never_ acceptable in her book, she could always make an exception for her little brother. She still needed to pay him back for the time he'd hid a fish in her truck. When it was over one hundred degrees. And the windows were up. For two days.

She shuddered. "Okay. But, if we do this, we gotta make a deal _never_ to tell him." Lucy held out her right hand, her pinky stuck out as she waited for Haru to wrap his own pinky around hers. "Not a _word_ ," Lucy warned.

Haru snickered as he wrapped his finger around Lucy's. "Not a word," he said.

They grinned at each other, matching brown eyes lit up with mischief. "Now," Lucy said, "let's go sit outside and _you."_ She pointed a stern finger at her son. "Finish your cone! We can't have Sting catching us on the first day."

Haru nodded and hopped from his chair to follow Lucy from the store, the two falling into an easy conversation about the best fishing spots along the canal. In his excitement, Haru rushed past Lucy to open the door and race outside, not seeing the two figures nearing the door until he smacked into the shorter one. And completely crushed his half-eaten ice cream cone into the person's chest.

Haru stumbled back into Lucy's legs and she grabbed his shoulders to steady the boy. "Haru! Are you alright?" Lucy asked, looking down at her son with concern.

"Reiki! What have I told you about not watching where you're- _Lucy?_ "

Lucy looked up and blinked at the red haired woman standing in front of her. " _E-Erza!_ "

Lucy couldn't believe she was seeing her old friend after so long. Erza Scarlet had certainly grown up into the beautiful woman Lucy always knew she would be, with long scarlet red hair and a toned yet curvaceous body that would have made many women jealous.

Seeing one of the only friends she'd had in Magnolia brought back fond memories of her childhood. While Lucy had grown up in Magnolia she and Sting had never attend the local public school, instead going to a fancy boarding school in Hargeon and leaving little time for them to make friends in town. She only knew Erza and Levy from the ballet studio they all attended for years out of the rest of the children her age.

Fortunately, Erza and Levy had remained close friends with her even as Lucy lived away from town for most of her young life, the three having relied on letters and late night phone calls to keep them close during the school years. That close friendship had weakened when Lucy left Magnolia, unfortunately. If she was honest, Lucy was a little nervous about seeing the two women again. Especially the fiery redhead.

"Erza, I can expla-"

Before she knew it, Lucy was slammed into the woman's chest in a completely one-sided hug. Lucy winced. She'd forgotten how painful Erza's hugs often were when they were kids, and it seemed, even after all this time, Erza still hadn't managed to reign in her unusual strength.

"E-Erza…I can't… _breathe_ ," Lucy gasped.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Erza said, and quickly let go of her. "I'm just a little surprised to see you _here_ , after all this time." She tilted her head to the side as she regarded Lucy with a polite smile on her face. Her long, red hair swinging in the ponytail behind her. "Are you visiting your brother?"

Lucy started to fidget under the woman's stern gaze. She'd also forgotten how imposing Erza could come off to others. Even her friends. Lucy had hoped to get a bit of practice at telling people of her return to Magnolia before she spoke with her two old friends.

"W-well, actually…um. I'm moving here. Permanently. Well, me and my son."

"Your son…?" Erza looked down and seemed to finally notice the little boy standing next to Lucy, seemingly pouting over his ruined ice cream. "Odd. I didn't know you had a son." Erza glanced at Lucy and raised an eyebrow. "I suppose my baby shower invitation was lost in the mail?" she asked.

Lucy paled. "W-well…I, uh…"

Her attention dropped to the boy her son ran into as he plucked at his wet and cold shirt with a calm and slightly board look on his face. He was around the same age as Haru, though a little taller. His dark brown eyes looked very much like the woman's standing next to him as he looked up at her and gave a polite smile. In fact, the more Lucy looked, the more similarities she could see between the boy and Erza. His shaggy hair was a few shades darker but still undeniably red with just a touch of purple tint to it. Perhaps maroon would be the best way to describe it. Even his nose was like Erza's.

Raising an eyebrow, Lucy looked back at her old friend and smirked. "Was my invitation lost too?"

Erza jerked, her cheeks flushing slightly to match her hair. She sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I suppose it's possible the Fiorian mail has made a few mistakes," she huffed.

Lucy snickered and looked back at her son. Haru had stopped pouting and was attempting to apologize to the maroon haired boy.

"Sorry about your shirt," Haru said.

"Sorry about your ice cream," the boy said.

Haru grinned at that and held out a hand. "I'm Haru. Who're you?"

Lucy flicked his ear at the rude question. Haru whined and the boy only smiled politely before taking Haru's hand. "Reiki Fernandes. It's nice to meet you Haru."

"Fernandes, huh," Lucy said as she eyed Erza with a devious smirk. The redhead blushed once more but only shrugged her slender shoulders. Lucy grinned. She had always thought her childhood friend's crush was something that would last. It was nice to be right.

Haru shrugged. "It's fine. Me and mom are gonna come back to get ice cream next month. But don't tell my uncle we're coming here! He'll get upset that his ice cream isn't the best."

Reiki nodded. "I won't tell. Promise."

Haru narrowed his eyes and looked the boy up and down. Reiki raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything. After a beat Haru nodded like he'd just come to a very serious conclusion and held out his hand, pinky raised. "We should pinky-swear."

Reiki tilted his head and blinked. "…Sorry?"

"We should pinky-swear," Haru said. "That way you _can't_ break your promise to keep it a secret."

Reiki gave a small smile before wrapping his own pinky around Haru's. "Then, I pinky-promise," he said.

Haru grinned. "Cool. Uh…I can help you clean your shirt if you want," he offered.

Reiki looked back at his mother who nodded her approval before he turned back to Haru and smiled. "Okay. Thanks."

Reiki led Haru back into the shop to the small washing station next to the door. Ur had insisted her husband install a large sink in the main room for the kids to clean themselves up at after they had their ice cream. The sink was big enough for five kids to stand around at a time and was low enough for most to not need the stepping stool in the corner.

Haru immediately began splashing water on Reiki's shirt, but the other boy only sighed as he dabbed at the blue fabric with some paper towels, a small smile curling at his lips. It seemed that Reiki had at least not inherited his mother's temper.

Lucy caught Erza looking at the two boys with a fond smile from where the women stood outside. "How old is Haru?" she asked.

"Seven."

"He's the same age as my Reiki," Erza said, with a touch of pride in her voice. She tapped a finger to her chin as her one eye that wasn't hidden behind her bangs looked the two boys over carefully. "We should make a play-date," the red-head said suddenly.

Lucy had to choke back a short. She hadn't made play-dates for Haru since he was in diapers. "I think Haru's old enough to choose his friends without my help," she said.

Erza's sharp gaze slid over to Lucy. "Are you suggesting Haru wouldn't want to be friends with _my_ Reiki?"

Lucy paled at the very serious, and slightly threatening, tone of Erza's voice. "N-no, no! That's not what I meant. A play-date sounds wonderful!" Lucy gave a nervous chuckle as she held up her hands in front of her.

Erza nodded. "Good. Besides," she looked back into the shop at the two boys. "I think the two will get along well."

Lucy looked through the glass and smiled at the sight. Haru had stopped throwing water on Reiki and was handing him paper towels as he talked excitedly about something. Probably dragons, if Lucy had to guess. Reiki only smiled as he cleaned his shirt but it was clear the boy was paying close attention to Haru's story.

 _He has a new friend already_ , she thought with a smile.

"Come over for dinner this Sunday," Erza said. "I'm afraid Jellal is out on a business trip at the moment so you'll have to wait to meet him, but we can catch up while the boy's play."

Lucy paused as she thought over her schedule. Thankfully, Sting closed Sabretooth early on Sunday's so she'd be free for dinner. "Okay. I can bring my famous banana bread."

Erza shook her head, ponytail swinging behind her. "No. You and Haru will be our guests. I will provide all the food."

Lucy did her best not to cringe. Erza had never been very skilled in the kitchen, her own mother simply ordering takeout every night rather than teaching Erza or her sister how to cook. The last time Lucy had eaten Erza's food had been at their ballet class's bake sale, and the young girl had forgotten sugar in all of her cookies. Not a good day for the bake sale to say the least.

"Your husband can come too," Erza said, and that time Lucy really did cringe.

"O-oh…Thank you but, my husband…he's…He passed away a year ago."

Erza winced. "Oh Lucy, I'm so sorry." This time, when Erza pulled her into a hug it was much gentler. Lucy wrapped her arms around her old friend and took a shaky breath. It seemed her emotional roller coaster wasn't done for the day.

"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Thanks Erza," Lucy said, pulling back to quickly wipe at her eyes before her son could see the tears there. "Kind of hard to call you without a phone number though," she joked.

Erza smiled and reached into her purse and pulled out a business card. She handed it to Lucy who looked it over with a quizzical gaze. The card advertised a fencing class at the local gym on weekdays from four to eight. Lucy raised an eyebrow. Seemed a little long of a class for fencing, but what did she know.

Erza closed her hands over Lucy's, "I'd still like you and Haru to come over on Sunday. We can talk if you'd like. Or not talk at all."

Lucy smiled at the woman's understanding. Perhaps it would be a good thing to confide in someone who wasn't strictly family. Especially after her little revelation earlier that day. Telling her brother and Yukino she wasn't as okay as she'd thought would only make them worry, and they had enough to deal with preparing for the baby.

"Thank you Erza. I think that's just what I-"

Lucy stopped when her phone started ringing in her back pocket. Giving Erza an apologetic smile, Lucy pulled her phone out and looked at the screen. It wasn't a number she recognized but the area code was from Magnolia.

"Hello?" she answered.

" _Hey, Luce. Bad time?"_

Lucy raised an eyebrow at the familiar drawl, but what was with the weird nickname? "Mr. Dragneel?"

" _Not an old man…Yeah, it's me! Anyway, I wanted to call and tell ya your truck's fixed."_

Lucy blinked. Had she heard him right? "I thought you couldn't fix it for another day?"

" _O-oh. Well, I…uh…One of my other customers canceled on me so I got some free time. Point is, it's fixed and you can swing by to get it anytime. Hell, if ya hurry, you and Haru can go dragon huntin' before dinner time!"_

Lucy nearly dropped her phone. He'd… _remembered?_ She honestly hadn't thought he'd paid that much attention to what she and Haru had been talking about. Why would he? The banter of a mother and her son would hardly interest some mechanic who likely just wanted to get to his work.

" _Yo Luce. You there?"_

"H-huh. Oh. Yeah I'm here."

She heard him chuckle and could just picture him rubbing grease over his chin as he mumbled, _"Weirdo."_

Lucy felt her eyebrow twitch. "I'll be over in a few minutes," she said curtly. "Thanks for calling. And for, you know, fixing the truck early." She mumbled the last part, hoping he wouldn't completely hear her.

" _No prob. So I'll see ya in a bit, yeah? Oh! And tell Haru I gotta surprise for 'em!"_

"Sure thi- wait, _what?_ What do you mean a surprise?" she asked, but he'd already hung up the phone.

Lucy blinked at the blank screen a few times. That was possibly the strangest conversation she'd ever had, and Lucy regularly talked about magic with her son. Lucy closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead as she heaved a heavy sigh. Honestly, at this point all she wanted to do was go back to her brother's house and take a relaxing bath. She sure needed one after the morning she'd had.

The bell on the shop's door dinged as Haru and Reiki walked out, both now fairly soaked from their attempt at washing themselves, though neither Lucy nor Erza minded.

"Hey mom, guess what?" Haru said as he tugged at Lucy's shirt.

"What?"

"Reiki said he knows how to fight with a _sword._ "

"It's a sabre, Haru," Reiki said, but Haru simply waved him off, too excited at the thought of swinging around a real sword to be concerned by names.

"Reiki says his mom teaches him. Maybe she could teach me too…?" he asked hopefully.

Lucy shuddered at the thought of Haru swinging around _any_ sharp object. She still remembered the time he'd _accidently_ gotten two fishhooks stuck in his thumb. Well, the first one was an accident, the second one was an attempt to get the first one out. That might not have been so bad if the hooks hadn't been covered in fish and worm guts. If her son could manage to get hurt by a fishhook there was no telling what damage he'd do with a _sword!_

"Haru, I don't think that would be a good idea," Lucy said.

Haru frowned. "But I gotta use a sword if I want to find the dragon and get my wish."

Lucy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wanted to _ask_ this dragon for a wish. He might not give you one if you try poking him with a sword."

Haru smile slightly at that but his jaw was still set stubbornly. "Uncle Sting said if I want my wish I'd have to kill the dragon like in the stories."

Lucy scoffed. "Well clearly he was wrong. Killing a dragon? That's just rude. And I highly doubt even your uncle is crazy enough to do that. And the man has a pet alligator!"

Haru laughed and even Reiki chuckled a bit. Lucy silently sighed in relief when it looked like her son had lost interest in learning to fence. That was one waiting disaster avoided.

"I'd be more than happy to teach Haru how to fence, Lucy," Erza said sweetly, and effectively prompted Haru to cheer and resume his begging tenfold. Lucy shot her friend a small glare but the red head was either oblivious to it or ignored her as she, much to Lucy's horror, promised Haru they'd talk about his first class later.

That was another thing Lucy had forgotten about her friend. Erza's tendency to make choices for others, while with good intentions, was often more troublesome than Lucy would have liked to admit. Case in point, her son now cheerfully skipping around her as he swing his arm every which way to "practice his moves".

"Hey mom? You think I'll have to fight some monsters here?"

"Fencing is serious, Haru," Reiki said, earning an approving nod from his mother. "And you don't stand like that."

Haru paused in swinging his arm, his balance on one foot making him sway slightly as he looked over at the other boy. "Then how _do_ you stand?" he asked somewhat skeptically.

"Like this." Reiki carefully took the stance his mom had taught him, spreading his feet and bending his knees slightly. His brow creased as he concentrated on positioning his feet at right angles to each other and holding right his arm out in front of him with his elbow slightly bent. He raised his left arm to be level with his shoulder and glanced over at Haru. "See?" he said.

Haru nodded and attempted to get in the same pose as Reiki. Lucy sighed and shook her head. "Never mind that now. We have to go get the truck."

Haru stopped his posing and blinked up at her. "It's fixed?"

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Yep."

Haru grinned. "We can go dragon hunting!"

Lucy's smile widened. "Yep."

Haru whooped started running down the sidewalk in the direction of the shop. Pausing under a magnolia tree, he turned and called back to the group, "See ya later Reiki!"

Reiki smiled and waved back. "Bye Haru."

" _Moooom!_ Let's go!"

Lucy laughed. "Alright, alright, I'm coming." She turned back to Erza, "I'll call you sometime later tonight and we can talk."

Erza nodded, "It was good to see you Lucy." Before Lucy could reply she found herself crushed to the woman's chest again. This hug wasn't gentle like the last one but suffocating like the first.

"E-Erza…air…"

"Mom. You're hugging too hard again," Reiki said.

Erza let her go and quickly apologized before Lucy hurried after her son. Walking beside Haru, Lucy pulled her phone from her pocket and quickly dialed her brother's number.

" _What now?"_ he demanded after one ring.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Turn around. My truck's fixed so you don't need to get us."

" _What the hell?! Why'd you call me if it was gonna be fixed in a few hours? Oh shit. I left Orga in charge of the stove. He's gonna burn my restaurant down! With my wife inside!"_

"Stop overreacting. I didn't know Mr. Dragneel would get it finished so early," she sniffed, placing her free hand on her hip as she walked.

" _...Mr. Dragneel, huh?"_

Lucy raised an eyebrow at her brother's strange tone. The way he said Natsu's name was almost like he didn't like the guy, which was odd because Sting had never mentioned the man before when he was ranting about people who pissed him off. Something he often did when talking to Lucy, much to her annoyance.

"Yeah…is there a problem?"

" _Yes there's a problem! I'm over halfway to town!"_

"Then you only have halfway to drive back!" she snapped.

He huffed. _"Fine. What the hell'd you guys do for a few hours anyway?"_

"Nothing. Just…looked around."

She winced. It wasn't a lie, _completely,_ she and Haru had looked around. From the inside of Ice-Make. Still, her little half-truth sounded weak even to her, and she had no doubt Sting heard it. He didn't say anything for a moment and Lucy could practically _hear_ the mischievous, smug, _stupid_ smirk stretch over her brother's face.

" _You did a dad thing."_ It wasn't even a question.

"Eucliffe…" she warned, knowing he wasn't likely to let this go now but hoping she could intimidate him anyway.

" _You're just like dad!"_ he yelled and immediately hung up.

Lucy glared at her phone and silently cursed her brother's stupid ability. Out of all the traits he could have inherited from their mother, why did it have to be the woman's uncanny intuition. "Oh, you are _so_ getting hit with a shoe tonight."

Beside her, Haru snickered. "There was some gum on the sidewalk back there."

A mischievous grin stretched over Lucy's face and she bent over to scoop up her son and spin him around while he laughed. "You brilliant boy!" she cheered.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Boss

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this. Sorry about the long wait everyone. This chapter is a bit longer than the others and took me some extra time to write. I'm hoping to make most of the future chapters a little longer like this one, so there may be a slightly longer waiting time than before. That being said I hope you all like this chapter and can forgive my slower update. Happy reading!**

Chapter 6: A New Boss

Natsu cursed as he jerked the wrench against the bolt holding the alternator in place. Damn thing had rusted, _again_ , cause Jet had left his car outside all winter, _again_ , and then busted his fan belt when he'd over heated his engine come summer, _again_. And now Natsu had to lean over the still hot engine and change the damn thing. _Again_.

After overheating his engine twelve times, having the battery cables corrode twice, and even losing his damn tailpipe for half of last summer, one would've thought that Jet would've figured out he needed to drive his old taxi cab according to its age. Or retire driving. Wasn't like the small town really needed _one_ taxi cab anyway when walking was just as good. But noooo, instead Jet slammed his foot on the gas every damn time he hopped into the front seat like demons were on his tail. Really, the cab was from _X720_ forcrying out loud, not some brand new race car!

But that wasn't what pissed Natsu off.

Nope. It was the fact that Jet _only_ took his car into the shop when Natsu was the only one there. Natsu wasn't stupid. He knew it wasn't coincidence that Jet only showed up on days Gajeel wasn't in. Natsu covered for his cousin maybe ten times throughout the whole year, often being too busy himself to work more than a few hours on his slow days, which was too random for it to just be luck. And given the history of his car, Jet _clearly_ wasn't a lucky guy, so the fact that he always came in those few days Natsu worked, and always with a the same damn problem too, really pissed Natsu off after a while.

He'd have to talk to Levy about mentioning to Jet when her husband wasn't in the shop. Soon.

He knew the reason Jet refused to let Gajeel work on his car was largely due to his annoyance that his childhood friend, and once not-so-secret crush, Levy was married to Natsu's pierced and tattooed cousin. He didn't even like Levy like that anymore, for Mavis' sake! It was more out of spite than jealousy that made him and Droy glare at Gajeel all the time. But really, the man needed to learn to let things go. For Mavis' sake, the two even had kid! Natsu wasn't an expert but he was _pretty_ sure that meant things were serious.

At the very least, Jet needed to not make Natsu the sole person responsible for fixing a whole engine. That was more of a two person job anyway. Working in the shop was supposed to be his _easy_ job, for crying out loud! A chance to take a break and work on something simple and for the most part easy. Natsu mostly took naps in the camper out back when he covered Gajeel, only having a few appointments to usually look after. Of course, that was usually thrown out the window when Jet called first thing in the morning.

Natsu smirked. At least he was able to delay fixing Jet's car for a few hours in favor of fixing Lucy's. That would piss Jet right off. _Technically speaking_ , customers with appointments were supposed to take priority over walk-ins, and even though Jet had only made his appointment that morning Natsu should have seen to his car before Lucy's.

Tracking down a catalytic converter for a truck that old last minute was more troublesome than if he'd have just waited a day and ordered it. But he'd rushed across town to his father's good friend, and the town's resident pack rat, hoping to get the part just after Lucy and Haru had left. He wasn't sure why he'd gone to such a length for someone he didn't even know. It wasn't like him to put much effort into helping others he didn't know past what was simply polite kindness. _Especially_ if it would keep him leaning over Jet's engine for a few extra hours because he was late. But, oddly enough, he wasn't upset.

Natsu sighed and rubbed his jaw on his shoulder, his hands too busy with holding the wrench in place to scratch his chin.

Natsu had just wanted to do something for Lucy and her son. Something to make their day a little better. Haru had just looked so disappointed when they couldn't go dragon hunting and Natsu hadn't missed the way Lucy's shoulders had slumped slightly at her son's obvious letdown. After seeing her panic at the thought of not knowing where her son was, Natsu wanted to do something to help make their day end on a higher note. And if that meant fixing their truck so they could go dragon hunting, something he still thought sounded _extremely cool_ , then that's what he'd do.

Plus, Natsu had a feeling based on what Haru had said last time that things weren't all rainbows and dragons at home. Wanting to wish for your family to be together wasn't what most kids wished for if they already had it. He had no clue what the issue was, or if there even was one, but surely helping out a mom and her kid was more important than fixing Jet's cab anyway. Be a good samaritan, and all that.

That was the only reason Natsu told himself he'd wanted to help them out, anyway.

Natsu finally managed to jerk the rusted bolt loose and tossed it over his shoulder, not caring where it ended up. He'd hoped to be out of the shop by four then swing by his work to check a few things before heading home. Looking at the state of Jet's engine he knew he'd be lucky to get out by eight. The belt had knocked a few gears loose when it'd busted and just to be safe, he'd have to check that no small pieces of the rubber had fallen into the pistons. Which they probably had based on how frayed the belt was.

Plus, he still had his second appointment at one with Mrs. Spetto. Granted, the old lady just needed a headlight changed but she would want to talk about her cats, and Natsu was never really good at keeping those conversations brief.

Jet wouldn't be happy to know he'd have to wait around for another two to three hours because Natsu had gone on a wild goose chase for a converter and then talked about Mrs. Spetto's cats. Of course, Natsu could just let Gajeel finish up on the cab tomorrow. Then Jet would _really_ be unhappy.

And speak of the devil, just then Jet came walking into the shop from the front office whistling a fast-paced tune that Natsu didn't recognize. He glanced up from under the hood, careful not to bang his head on the low-hanging metal. Jet crossed the room with his usual slow and lazy pace, his tall and lanky form slightly slouched and making his thin shoulders look even smaller under his over-sized purple shirt and loose suspenders. As usual, his orange hair was pulled back into a high ponytail on top of his head, making him look like a pineapple.

"So Natsu, how're things comin'?"

Natsu shrugged as he jerked off a loose gear and fit it on properly. "Fine. Gajeel should have it fixed tomorrow in no time." He glanced up at that, waiting to see the shocked look on the other man's face. Jet didn't disappoint.

His crooked nose wrinkled and his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as he spluttered an annoyed, " _T-Tomorrow?_ "

Natsu raised an eyebrow, carefully keeping his expression blank. "Problem?" he asked.

Jet crossed his arms and huffed. "Well, it's never taken you this long before. I know I was a little late comin' in, but two hours is plenty of time to fix a belt."

Natsu glared at him. Sure, he could _replace_ a fan belt in two hours with time to spare, but the damn thing busted through four gears and broke in little frayed shards that'd probably gotten thrown all over the damn engine, so, yeah, it was gonna take _way_ more than two hours. Something Jet knew since Natsu had explained it to him before. Twice.

"Belt knocked off some gears and I still gotta check the pistons don't have pieces lodged in 'em. Plus, I'll have to stop to fix Mrs. Spetto's light when she comes in at one."

Jet actually had to decency to look sheepish. "Ah, right. Well, is there any way you can get it done tonight? I gotta be out bright and early tomorrow for all the birdies gettin' breakfast."

 _More like you wanna avoid Gajeel_ , Natsu thought. "If you're talkin' about the usual early risers I don't think you'll get much of a boost in customers."

If Jet got any. Most of the people who woke early to eat breakfast in town were either families or elderly couples. All of whom tended to have cars of their own or settled for walking, like everyone else in the small town.

Jet scratched his nose as he looked Natsu over. "Didn't cha hear? Sting's got some new waitress from the big city startin' tomorrow." He grinned and wagged his eyebrows suggestively, "A lot of the guys want to head over in the mornin' to see how she looks. Gonna be a great day for business." He clapped his hands together and rubbed them like he was expecting a great meal. "So, can ya have it done tonight?"

Natsu shrugged, wondering if he should tell Jet he'd only started on the cab twenty minutes ago when he spotted a familiar head of blond hair from the corner of his eye walk into the shop. Lucy walked around the garage corner hand-in-hand with Haru, her attention completely on her son as he talked about…fencing?

Natsu chuckled as he straightened and made his way over to them, pulling a rag from his pocket to wipe off his hands as he went. Haru's interests seemed to change minute to minute. First it was magic, then dragons, then fishing, and now fencing. Kid sure was fun, and Natsu had only been around him for a few minutes.

"May want to call Droy for a ride, Jet. I'mma take care of Miss Heartfilia and then take a lunch," Natsu called over his shoulder.

Jet spluttered a string of cruses that only Natsu could make out but he quickly left the garage anyway, nodding and giving a polite smile to Lucy and Haru as he passed. Natsu didn't miss the way Jet's gaze lingered curiously over the two before he turned the corner and was out of sight. No doubt he was wondering who the little pair were given they weren't locals but clearly had the last name of one of the more well-known families in the area. Natsu would be lying if he wasn't curious himself, but he figured Lucy probably had enough to deal with without some random guy asking about her personal life.

"And then, Reiki said he was gonna fence in a competition this year!" Haru exclaimed. He paused and frowned slightly. "I can't remember what it's called, though…"

Lucy chuckled, "Well, I'm sure he'll do good. Especially if Erza is his teacher."

Haru nodded and looked up at his mom. "Mom. Do you think I can be in the competition too?"

She tapped her chin, thinking. "Well, I'll bet sign ups have already happened, plus you still haven't even taken your _first_ class. But you might be able to go to the one next year."

"Sign-ups end next month," Natsu said walking up to them. He looked down at Haru and grinned, crossing his arms over his chest. "Hey little man. So your fencin' now, huh?"

Haru nodded, his smile growing into an all-out grin. "Yep!"

"Well, I still have to talk to Erza about it," Lucy added, watching as Haru wandered off to the corner of the shop where Happy was lying in his wicker basket sleeping.

Natsu smiled when Haru simply sat next to the basket and gently stroked the kitten's back instead of picking him up and trying to get him to play again, like most kids would do. After his impromptu play-date, Happy had been ready to crash for the next few hours but would have gladly played again should the opportunity arise. Even if it wasn't the best thing to do.

"Kid'll have a blast. Though, if Erza's teachin' him it might not be the kind of blast you'd want," he said.

Lucy laughed and Natsu couldn't have stopped his grin if he'd tried. He liked her laugh. It was loud and in no way like the usual soft giggles hidden behind delicate hands most of the women in town had. It made it seem real.

"So," she said, looking up at him. "I hear you have my truck fixed."

Natsu grinned. "Yep. Easy fix." Kind of. He walked over to the key rack by the office door and snagged her key. "Nice keychain, by the way," he said, smirking as he tossed them over to her.

Lucy fumbled to catch them before they fell to the floor and Natsu had to hide his laugh behind his hand. Huffing, she glared back at him before she looked down at the little clay lion attached to the key. At least, Natsu _thought_ it was a lion. With its mushed in face, four pointing spikes that he supposed were supposed to be the mane and stick-figure body it could have very well been some weird flower.

Lucy smiled as her thumb traced over the figure's body. "Haru made this for me when he was four. It's good luck you know."

She said it with the absolute certainty and adoration all mother's seemed to share when their child made them something. Like the ugly lion really was lucky and therefor the most precious thing in the world. "Must be why your truck got fixed so early," he said.

She hummed and looked up at him with an odd look in her deep brown eyes. "I suppose…"

Natsu cleared his throat and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyways. Truck's parked out front." He pointed in the general direction of the parking lot. "Just got a few papers you need to sign and then you're off."

She nodded and called over Haru before following him into the office. Haru dashed up to the counter and pulled himself up using the ledge to smack the bell sitting on top. "We're here to pay!" he said, barely able to peak over the edge to look at Natsu. Lucy rolled her eyes and sighed in exasperation but the smile pulling at her lips only made Haru grin wider.

"Yeah?" Natsu asked, leaning forward on the counter so he could look at Haru a little better. "You the man of the house?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Haru said, his smile fading into a serious frown.

Natsu nodded and made sure his own amusement was well hidden as he pulled out the paper every customer needed to sign and held the clipboard out to the small boy. "Then I'm gonna need your signature," he said.

Haru nodded and took the pen Lucy handed him before slowly and carefully writing his name where Natsu pointed out. He winked at Lucy before sliding the same papers over to her. She quickly filled them out and handed them back to him the same moment Haru shoved the clipboard onto the counter.

"I'm done. I put my birthday and new address too."

Natsu nodded and looked the forms over. He raised an eyebrow at the address, knowing full well Lucy and Haru weren't locals. Though the name Heartfilia was quite well known in Magnolia, the only person he knew of who had that last name was Sting. Natsu's gaze flicked over to Lucy. Her blonde hair was a little darker, more of a summer gold than the corn yellow Sting had, but he supposed they could've been cousins or something.

He wondered if she was the city girl Jet had mentioned. She didn't have an accent like some of the families who came down for vacation, but she did dress like them. Her flowery shirt was made of the same fancy material and flowy fabric that city slickers often wore. Compared to the rest of the town whose favorite color was plaid, she stuck out like a live pig in the butchers shop.

"Well, Haru Leo Heartfilia, I'm afraid ya forgot one thing." He tapped at the blank line near the bottom of the page where customers usually wrote their phone number. "I'll need a job description," he said.

Haru paused and tapped the pen to his chin thinking before jerking the clipboard off the counter and turning to write on the line. "There." He handed the clipboard back to Natsu, a proud grin stretched across his face.

Natsu looked it over and grinned. Oh yeah. This kid was definitely fun. Written in his surprisingly neat handwriting, Haru had printed "Dragon Hunter" as his job. Natsu gave a low whistle, "Dragon hunter, huh? Sounds like an important job."

"It is. But I don't hurt the dragon's, cause then they wouldn't give me a wish. Plus mom says it's rude to poke a dragon with a sword."

Natsu looked over at Lucy and smirked. "Seems reasonable."

"Very," she said, her own smirk pulling at her full lips.

"But I haven't found the dragon _yet_ ," Haru went on while Natsu filed away Lucy's papers. "But since the truck's fixed, me and mom are gonna go look in these special woods that she thinks a dragon would be in. Maybe the one that saved you."

Natsu grinned down at the boy. "And you'll tell him hi for me, right?"

"Yes Mr. Dragneel."

Natsu groaned. He hated when people called him that. It made him feel like an old man. Picking up Haru's paper he ripped off the carbon copy on the back and held it out to Haru. "Pink for you and white and yellow for me."

Haru walked around to Lucy's other side to stuff the paper into her purse, her hand reaching out to run her fingers though his hair as he did. "So, how much do I owe you?" she asked him.

"900 Jewel."

She blinked at him, dumbfounded. "Really? I thought catalytic converters were pretty expensive?"

Natsu shrugged, turning to file away some extra papers so she wouldn't notice the nervous twitch of his mouth. He couldn't stop himself from rubbing the back of his neck though, something he seemed to do only when he was nervous or uncomfortable. Hopefully she would just think he was wiping off the extra sweat there.

She was right of course. Catalytic converters typically cost _way_ more than 900 Jewel. Even though Gildarts had given it to him for free, Natsu knew 900 really only covered the labor part of the fee. But, he'd reasoned, if it didn't cost anything to buy the part then there wasn't much sense charging Lucy for it. It just didn't seem fair.

Of course, he doubted his cousin would see it that way. Especially after he'd ignored Jet's car in favor of fixing a walk-in.

"Consider it a discount," he said, turning back to her. She pursed her lips and looked like she was going to argue so Natsu quickly added, "I got the part for free. Wasn't gonna charge ya for the purchase since there was none."

"O-oh. Well, that's very kind of you." She smiled at him and for a brief moment Natsu couldn't turn away. "Thank you. I forgot how nice the people here are."

Natsu raised an eyebrow at that. So she _was_ from here, but clearly she'd just moved here too. Maybe she used to visit family when she was younger? Natsu was sure he'd have remembered her if she'd lived here. And in a town as small as Magnolia, it was likely they'd have bumped into each other at some point. Although, he did only meet Sting when the guy opened his restaurant, despite him having lived just outside of Magnolia all his life. Something he'd assumed had to do with him being part of the wealthiest family south of Crocus.

Natsu was curious but he didn't want to push his nose into Lucy's past. Not usually an open subject with people you'd just met. Even for a small town like Magnolia where privacy was lucky to stay in your bedroom.

Lucy reached into her purse and counted out the proper bills to give him. "Here. 900 still seems a bit low," he _swore_ the look in her eyes was like she knew why he'd really given her such a good deal, "so keep the change."

She didn't say it in a harsh way but Natsu was left with the feeling that he shouldn't argue with her either. "Sure thing, Luce," he said smiling.

"Mr. Dragneel!" Haru called and Natsu groaned. "I almost forgot. Mom said-"

Natsu held up a finger to stop Haru mid-sentence. "First things first, kiddo. Call me Natsu. Mr. Dragneel is what people call my old man. And I ain't no old man. Okay?"

Haru nodded and Natsu sighed in relief. At least Haru seemed easier to convince than Reiki. Kid still insisted on calling him "Mr. Natsu" at least. Though, with a mom like Erza, Natsu couldn't blame him for being so serious.

"Now, what'd your mom say?"

Haru smiled but his hands started to fidget as he tugged at his shirt. "Mom said you have a surprise for me?"

Natsu grinned. "You bet your bottom Jewel I do!" he said, rounding the counter and motioning for them to follow. "Got it stashed in the truck."

Natsu propped open the door for the small family, Haru running out ahead with barely contained excitement while Lucy trailed behind, her sharp gaze watching her son closely as he raced across the parking lot to the faded blue pickup.

"Is it inside?!" Haru hollered as he threw open the driver's door and climbed inside. Damn thing had been sticking a little when Natsu had first got it. Nothing a little grease and a wrench couldn't fix. If Lucy noticed how easily the door opened she didn't say anything.

"Now who the heck stashes stuff in the front of a truck?" Natsu asked seriously, scratching his head. Haru looked at him over his shoulder as he balanced precariously on the edge of the truck's low step, his large eyes narrowed slightly as he frowned at Natsu in confusion.

Natsu grinned and jerked his thumb to the back of the truck. "Check the bed."

Haru jumped down and raced to the back of the pickup. Scrambling up and over the tailgate he practically fell into the bed, no doubt banging a knee or two on the few boxes left in there. He shuffled around for a bit before whooping and straightening up amid the large boxes holding a bright red fishing rod that was perfectly sized for a young child.

"Mom! Mom, look! It's a fishing rod! A _real_ one!"

Natsu crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow as Lucy came up beside him pouting. "A real one?" he asked.

She sighed. "He means one that you can cast. His rod, well, I guess it's his old one now, is a piece of bamboo with a bit of string attached to the end." She huffed and crossed her arms. "I don't see what the big deal is. His old rod is fine."

Natsu snickered. "But it ain't real."

"I suppose not…" She was looking at him in that same way again, like she knew something he didn't. He shifted from foot to foot and looked away. "You didn't have to do that, by the way," she said.

"Huh?"

"The rod. You didn't have to get him something. Or give me a 'discount'." She made air-quotes as she said the last word, her eyes fixing him with a serious look that Natsu had no doubt she used on her son when he tried to sneak something under her nose.

He shrugged, not really seeing either situation as a big deal. "I wasn't gonna charge ya for somethin' I got for free. Didn't seem right, ya know? And as for the rod…it was 'posed to be for my niece, but _apparently_ fish are gross and catchin' 'em is cruel."

She laughed. "Well it can be. I remember when I was little and my father taught my brother and I how to unhook a fish but we ended up ripping the poor things guts out after one swallowed the hook." She shivered like she was still haunted by the memory and Natsu couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Ripping the guts out…" he snickered. "That's a first."

She sniffed and stuck her nose in the air. "It happens a lot more than you think, Mr. Dragneel."

"Natsu." She blinked up at him and he grinned. "Doesn't seem fair for Haru to call me Natsu and you not to."

She quickly looked away, the tips of her ears pinking like she was embarrassed, though Natsu had no clue why she would be.

"I guess that's alright then," she said.

He chuckled. "Weirdo." He looked back at Haru who was climbing out of the back of the truck, this time far more cautious now that he had his new fishing rod. "At least this way someone can use that thing. Woulda been a waist just sittin' in my truck."

Lucy nodded, a soft smile pulling at her lips as Haru came running over to them grinning ear to ear. "Mom, did you see it?! It's so cool. But we need to get a hook." He nearly shoved the thing into her face, though Lucy didn't seem to mind as she bent down to look at the rod more closely.

She hummed and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I'm sure your uncle will show you how to put one on when you two go fishing."

Haru nodded. "Are we still gonna go dragon hunting?"

"Yep." Lucy leaned closer and held up a hand to whisper in her son's ear. "But don't you need to tell Mr. Dragneel something?"

Natsu rolled his eyes. She just wouldn't let this whole "Mr. Dragneel" thing go would she?

"Oh, right." Haru turned towards him and gave a polite smile as he held out his hand to Natsu. "Thank you for the fishing rod."

Natsu laughed as he took the boy's hand. "No problem, kiddo. Now ya can give that dragon a fish when ya find him."

Haru's eyes widened like he hadn't even thought of that. Before Lucy could say goodbye, Haru was tugging her over to the truck, practically begging she hurry up so they could catch a fish before they looked for the dragon. Lucy glared at him over her shoulder but Natsu only grinned and waved them off as they drove past.

He turned to head back into the shop to work on Jet's cab when an old silver Cadillac pulled up next to him. Rolling down her window, Mrs. Spetto leaned out and smiled up at him, her wrinkles pulling against her pale skin and her bun pulled tight at her temples. He glanced at his watch and bit back a groan. She was early.

"Natsu, dear. It's so good to see you. This is perfect. I've been meaning to ask you about Ribbon. The poor thing hasn't been taking his medicine and I can't seem to get the hair on Bero's tail to grow back even with that special shampoo you gave me."

Natsu sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. Looks like he'd be skipping lunch for the day.

* * *

Her brother hated her, Lucy was sure. After waking her up at dawn and demanding she help prep the tables and kitchen, before the _rest_ of the employees were even there, if she might add, Sting had then made her recite each item from the menu until she could say it forwards, backwards and upside down without even thinking about it. Thank the heavens she already knew most of it.

By seven the rest of the employees had come in to finish preparing everything before the restaurant opened at eight. Apparently, breakfast was a big time for the bar and grill. Something Lucy only believed after seeing the rush the past few mornings. Really, Sabretooth was fairly busy all day, but with it being one of the few local eating joints around Lucy could understand why.

Still, that didn't mean Sting needed to wake her up so damn early.

She tried to remind herself that it was his seriousness and natural leadership in the kitchen that had always made her proud, and that she should be glad he was willing to push her as hard as the rest of his employees when he could have simply given her special treatment. But that was a lot easier said than done when he was leaning over her shoulder hassling her about how to wipe down the tables.

"Common, sis. I told you, it's _clockwise_. With the flow of the grain, remember?"

Lucy turned to glare at him and gave her brother a hard poke in the chest. "You do know that I was a waitress all through college, right? And I did pretty damn good at my job too."

Sting frowned and placed his hands on his hips. "This ain't some prissy café in Crocus. It's _Sabretooth_. And we got a rep to maintain."

Lucy huffed and copied her brother's posture. "Listen, little brother. As the owner of this _fine establishment_ ," Lucy made sure to say that last bit with as much sarcasm as she could, "do you _really_ think you should be bothering the 'new girl'. Don't you have wood to cut?"

"A good businessman makes sure that _all_ of his employees have a proper understanding about how his business should be run." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Learned that from dad."

Lucy threw her rag at him so it smacked him in the face. He _still_ hadn't let her dad-like behavior from yesterday go, despite not even knowing exactly what she'd done. He'd teased her all afternoon when she and Haru had come home, only stopping when Lucy smacked him over the head with her shoe. But it seemed her little reprieve was done for the day. Or until she got gum on her shoe again.

Sting laughed his loud, booming laugh that never failed to make Lucy laugh along with him. "Aw, don't be like that sis," he said as he flung an arm around her shoulders. They turned to look at the restaurant already beginning to fill up after just being open a few minutes.

"Look. I just wanna make sure you're gonna do good your first day. And since you won't wear the uniform-"

"You can shove that outfit right up your-"

"As your new boss, I gotta make sure you make up good tips in other ways," he finished, slapping a hand over her mouth before she could properly tell him off. He'd been careful to only tease her when Haru was around, and since Lucy didn't want to teach her son that it was okay to call someone names, or curse, she'd been relatively forced to keep all her snide remarks to herself.

"Besides, I don't like how some of these bastards are looking at you." As if to prove his point, he glared at the nearest table where a group of men sat eating their biscuits and gravy. They all quickly ducked their heads and focused on their food rather than Lucy.

Lucy huffed and flicked Sting's ear. "What happened to your great plan to use me to get more customers?" she asked.

"I wasn't _serious_. Why the hell would I want some backwater bums ogling my sister?"

Lucy snickered. "Keep insulting the customers, Sting. I'm sure that will go over well with Yukino."

Sting grumbled under his breath about her being a pain in his ass before he shoved her towards the door as a customer walked in. "You can handle waitressing outside right? Seeing as you've been a waitress before."

Before she could say anything, he turned and quickly disappeared back into the kitchen, laughing all the way. She sighed and pulled her pen and note pad from her pocket as she walked over the elderly couple standing by the door.

"Hello. Welcome to Sabretooth. Would you like to be seated inside or outside?" she asked.

Within the first hour, Lucy was starting to see why her brother had put her in charge of the tables outside. Not only was Sabretooth quickly busy, but most customers had opted to eat outside. not that Lucy could blame them. The heat of summer had yet to get too intense for the day and with the constant gentle breeze it was the perfect temperature to sit outside. Though that wasn't likely to last. Lucy could already feel the impending heat every time she went outside and was more than thankful she'd worn shorts and a loose tank top that morning.

Most of the people outside were the elderly or young families and since Lucy was wonderful with children she fared better with most of them than some of the other younger waitresses. Lucy had noticed a lot of men come in for breakfast, more so than the other days she'd been up this early, but her brother always managed to appear by her side when they walked in and convince them to eat inside.

He also made it a point of introducing her as his sister and not so subtly mentioned she had a son to every guy that walked in. At least he wasn't threatening the customers anymore, though his glares were still just as intense.

Lucy sighed as she handed Orga her latest order through the kitchen window. Only Sting would try to use her "city-girl" status to bring in customers and then keep her outside away from the rowdy ones. Now she understood where Yukino was coming from about his overprotectiveness getting annoying.

After taking her order Orga passed Lucy the dishes to another table. The large man was quite imposing, being well over six foot and looking like a regular body builder it was hard not to. Still, despite his rather intimidating appearance, the man seemed to have a soft spot for singing sappy love ballots. Not very well, if Lucy might add. Her brother often complained about the large man's off-key singing and would threaten to shut down the restaurant if Orga became too loud.

Even now, Orga was softly singing a sweet song about young love but Lucy could tell he was about to belt out the chorus the way he kept taking large gulps of air. She quickly made her way out of the kitchen to the main room and immediately bumped into her son. Haru was still dressed in his pajamas and had his beloved green pillow tucked under his arm as he rubbed one sleepy eye and yawned.

Lucy had let him sleep in after their hectic day yesterday, knowing full well how tired he was when they _finally_ got to bed. After picking up their truck, they'd gone to the local fish market to by the biggest fish they could find, at Haru's insistence of course. Then they made the half hour drive to the large forest outside of town. While it was privately owned, the Hakobe forest was always open to the public, and had plenty of hiking trails, parks and even a few camping sites placed around the large acreage.

They'd spent most of the day walking through the trails along the south edge of the mountain in the center of the woods, Lucy taking special care to show Haru some of her most favorite places. He'd been especially fond of the hidden waterfall several miles off the trail, saying it was exactly where a dragon would live. They'd had lunch at a concession stand set up at one of the parks, settling on hot dogs and fries before playing on the jungle gym and swings until the late evening.

They didn't find a dragon and Haru said it was probably because they didn't have a fresh fish to give him. When Lucy had asked him what could be better than something that was caught that morning her son had said it needed to be a fish they caught themselves. So they'd returned to Sabretooth around dinnertime and Haru had pleaded with his uncle to take him fishing in the small pond out back, something Sting had been more than pleased to do rather than continue cooking.

It wasn't until late that night that they all finally went to bed and Haru had been so tired he'd passed out the second his head hit the pillow. Lucy was a little shocked he'd managed to get up so early at all. Normally after a very busy day Haru wanted to sleep until noon at the least, something her husband had always insisted he got from her.

Lucy smiled down at him, balancing her tray on one hand while running her fingers through her son's hair. It was matted up on one side and reminded Lucy of how her husband's hair often looked first thing in the morning, though Haru's was certainly shorter. "Hey, sweetie. Did you sleep well?"

Haru nodded and leaned forward to press his face into her stomach. "I'm hungry," he mumbled around a large yawn.

Lucy chuckled and gently tapped his nose, making him giggle slightly, just as Yukino walked up. "I'm so sorry, Lucy. I offered to make him something upstairs but he insisted on eating with you."

Lucy waved off her concern. "It's no problem. Your idiot husband didn't let me eat breakfast yet so I could go for something to eat anyway." Lucy looked back at Haru who looked about ready to fall asleep leaning against her. "Haru, honey. I just need to give this food to the customer and then we can have breakfast, okay?"

"Can we eat outside?" he asked, peaking up at her through half-lidded eyes still blurry with sleep.

"Sure."

Yukino rubbed his back and gently pulled him from around Lucy's legs. "Why don't we go tell your uncle what you want for breakfast while your mom finishes up?"

Haru nodded and let his aunt steer him back to the kitchen, Sting's loud greeting of 'Mornin' sleeping beauty!' made Lucy smile while Haru's whine could easily be heard past the heavy doors. It was almost comical how easily she and Haru seemed to fit into her brother's house after not seeing them in so long. Like they'd all lived together for years.

 _But that's what family's for_ , she thought.

Lucy quickly moved across the room, weaving her way through the crowds to the front door when a customer flagged her down. "Excuse me, miss. Could we get another pitcher of tea?"

Lucy smiled. "Of course."

She turned and barely made it two feet before another table called her over needing some more napkins. Then another table wanted their bill and another wanted to know if they had the morning paper. She was pretty sure she heard someone ask for her phone number too.

By the time she reached the front door, Lucy was so flustered she didn't realize where she was going until she bumped into the person walking in. She felt a hand reach out to steady her and thank Mavis she had both hands on the tray, otherwise both she and the food would have likely been on the floor.

"Oh I'm so sorry. Please excuse me," she said automatically before even looking at the person.

The man chuckled and Lucy blinked when she realized she recognized the sound. She looked up at Natsu who was grinning that same bright smile that seemed to be permanently on his face. He was wearing jeans and a plain white t-shirt, revealing the tight muscles along his sun-kissed arms that she hadn't been able to see clearly yesterday. She'd been right before to think he was rather muscular, but that was to be expected from someone who worked with their hands all day after all. Lucy noticed he had a white scarf that had a pattern loosely resembling scales wrapped around his neck.

 _Odd, it's too hot for scarfs to be worn…_

"Ya know, Luce, if ya keep tryin' to push me down I'm gonna start to think ya don't like me."

She sighed and felt a smile tug at her lips. "I know. It's becoming a bad habit. For me and Haru," she said thinking back to his literal bump-in with Reiki. "You here for breakfast?" she asked.

Natsu went to reply just as his stomach growled. She stifled her laugh behind her hand while he grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "What gave me away?" he asked.

Lucy rolled her eyes and placed one hand on her hip as she cocked it to the side. "So, you want to be inside or outside?"

"Outside."

For some reason that didn't surprise her at all. "Well, I'm taking this out now so just come with me and I'll get you a seat."

"Aye sir."

They turned to head back outside when Haru called out to them. "Natsu!" the small boy called as he made his way across the room. He seemed to be a little more awake now, curtesy of the muffin he was eating that Sting no doubt gave him, but he still dragged his feet and his eyelids drooped from time to time.

Natsu grinned and crouched down until he was level with Haru. "Hey, little man. You look like you just got up."

Haru nodded. "Is Happy with you?"

Natsu chuckled. "'Fraid not, kiddo. He's still sleepin' after that work out you gave him."

Haru giggled and ducked out from Lucy's hand when she tried to wipe away a bit of muffin from his cheek. "Moooom," he whined. "Stop that."

Lucy frowned and licked her thumb again. "Hold still, Haru. You have stuff all over your face."

Natsu snickered as Lucy kept muttering under her breath about Haru being messy while the boy whined. He straightened and looked the two over. If they'd been fun to watch yesterday, seeing them both still a little tired was even better.

 _They're both weirdos_ , he thought as Haru began to tiredly pout after Lucy had finally cleaned his face.

Reaching out to place a hand on the boy's head, Natsu grinned down at him. "You had breakfast yet, kiddo?"

Haru shook his head and gave a tired chuckle when Natsu kept his hand in his hair.

"Then how 'bout you come eat with me?" He looked up at Lucy and smiled. "You too, Luce."

She blinked a few times at the unexpected invite, it still shocked her a little when complete strangers offered to do things for her, but just as she went to answer him Haru readily agreed. "Uncle Sting's already making us breakfast," Haru told his mom.

Natsu raised an eyebrow and looked at Lucy. "Uncle Sting?" Was _that_ how they were related? Odd, Natsu didn't remember Sting ever mentioning having a sister before.

She sighed and must not have heard him as she turned and motioned for him and her son to follow her outside. After giving her customers their order, Lucy led Natsu and Haru to a table off to the side and closest to the shade of the trees. "So…you work here?" he asked, settling himself in one of the iron chairs around the small table. Haru used his pillow as a cushion before taking the seat closest to Natsu. He laid his head on the table and Lucy reached out to pat his back. Kid definitely wasn't a morning person.

"I do, but it's only temporary. I don't plan on taking orders from the _bumblebee_ for long."

Haru snickered and Natsu tossed his head back and outright laughed. "Can't say I've heard someone call Sting that before," he hummed, looking her up and down. "I take it you two are related then?"

"Unfortunately," she grumbled. He smirked but Lucy ignored him. "Okay," she said and pulled out her pen and note pad. "What would you like, Mr. Dragneel?"

He rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, propping it up on its hind legs. "You just won't let that go will you?"

She smirked and waved her pen, signaling him to hurry and order just as Sting walked up and draped and arm over her shoulder. "Hey Natsu. Long time no see. You getting the usual?"

Natsu nodded and slowly lowered his chair back to the ground. "Hey Sting."

Sting turned his grin to Lucy and sagged a little on her shoulder. "Look sis, I know carrying out food is, like, the hardest job ever, but you could _at least_ remember to give someone their food before taking another order. I had to stop _my_ work to get the Connell's their food. And their little girl _really_ freaks me out."

Lucy frowned and glared up at her apparent brother. "What are you talking about? Asuka is sweet and so smart. You know she's reading the seventh grade reading list even though she's only in sixth grade?"

"She always asks me to kiss Yukino, not that I'm complaining or anything, but it's weird."

Natsu could only watch as the two bickered back and forth. He wasn't sure how he'd missed it earlier. Now that Sting and Lucy stood next to each other, it was _very_ obvious that they were siblings and not cousins like he'd first thought. They both had the same high cheek bones, thin nose that was slightly upturned and full lips. Granted, Lucy's lips were a bit fuller than her brother's and her chin wasn't quite as sharp as Sting's, but the resemblance was still there.

Next to him, Haru reached over and tugged his sleeve. "Hey Natsu. Wanna hear a secret?"

Natsu grinned and leaned closer to the boy. "You bet."

Haru smirked and for a brief moment Natsu was struck with how much he looked like Lucy. Were it not for the hair he'd be the spitting image of his mother. Natsu wondered if he'd grow out of that and look more like his father, whoever the man was…

Haru cupped his hands around his ear and whispered, "Uncle Sting's real name is-"

"Haru!" Sting yelped, and dove across the table to clap a hand over the boy's mouth, nearly shoving Natsu out of his chair in the process. "That's a _family secret_ , understand. Something for Heartfilia's only. Got it?"

Haru nodded and Sting pulled his hand away, his usual grin back in place as he stood next to Lucy. "Good. Breakfast's inside and I'll get right on your order, Natsu."

"Actually," Lucy said, "Haru and I are going to join Mr. Dragneel for breakfast outside." Natsu rolled his eyes when Lucy flashed him a small smirk. Okay, now she was just being petty.

Sting's grin slowly fell and his eyes flicked form Lucy to Natsu and back. "You're eating with Natsu?"

Lucy gave him a funny look while Natsu could only frown at the man's sudden change of behavior. "Yes…" Lucy smirked and reached over to pinch her brother's cheek. "Aww. Did my little brother want to eat breakfast with his big sister?" she teased.

"Ack! No! I just didn't want to hear you whine about how hot it is. And besides, I can't have you inviting yourself to eat with my customers all the time."

"I invited her, Sting," Natsu said. "I don't mind. Lucy's nice and I think Haru had a secret to tell me…" Natsu waggled his eyebrows at the boy, making him snicker and Lucy giggle. From the corner of his eye, Natsu _swore_ he saw Sting's eyebrow twitch and his hands clench, but when he turned back around the man was already looking back at Lucy, a fake pout on his face.

"But sis…"

"If it bothers you so much we'll have lunch together. You can even show me how to bus the tables again."

Sting playfully shoved her and Natsu was struck once again about how obvious their relationship was. "Yeah, yeah. I'll go get your food then."

He turned to go but Lucy stopped him and shoved her note pad in his hands. "Before I forget, here's the orders I took that still need to be placed."

Sting gaped at her. "What the he-"

"And inside table six wants more tea, table twelve wants their check, table nine wants to know if you have today's paper and I'm pretty sure someone at table nineteen asked for my number," she said as she ticked off her fingers.

Sting heaved a dramatic sigh. "Geez, have you done _any_ work today." He dodged as Lucy tried to flick his ear, sticking his tongue out as he hurried back to the front door. "Food'll be out in ten. And Haru!" The boy sat up and blinked at his uncle, looking far too innocent in Natsu's opinion. "Heartfilia's _only_ ," Sting said, and quickly went back inside.

Natsu raised an eyebrow. That was weird. Normally when he ate at Sabretooth Sting would sit with him for a while and they'd catch up. Sting liked to talk about Lector and they both enjoyed talking about Sting's Camaro. For him to rush off and get back to work, something the whole town knew he liked to slack off on occasionally, was definitely weird. And Natsu hadn't missed the slight glare Sting had fixed him with when Lucy said she and Haru were eating with him. It reminded Natsu of the look Sting got when an out of town customer hit on Yukino.

"What's up with Sting?" he asked. "Guy seemed a little…off."

Lucy hummed and tapped her fingers against her arm, apparently lost in thought as she suddenly jumped when a woman a few tables over asked her for a refill. "Of course!" she called and turned back to Natsu. Her eyes flicked over to Haru and Natsu could tell by the way she bit her lip she was thinking about how she'd lost track of him yesterday.

"Natsu." He nearly fell out of his chair when she used his first name, though he had a feeling she wasn't aware she had. "I hate to ask this, but…could you-"

"I got him, Luce. Go get Mrs. Mine her drink. She can get pretty crabby if she has to wait long."

She nodded and leaned down like she was going to say something to Haru but Mrs. Mine's loud demand for her to hurry had her rushing to the front door.

Natsu chuckled and looked over at Haru. He was looking a little more awake now, flicking an acorn around on the table when Natsu had a great idea.

"Hey Haru. Wanna make some fairy soldiers?"

Haru's eyes widened and his head snapped up to look at Natsu. "Yeah! How do we do that?"

"Well, first we're gonna need some supplies…" Natsu said, and turned to look at the large oak tree behind them. "And a little magic." He pulled out a tube of crazy glue from his pocket and the two grinned at each other.

Lucy walked into Sabretooth and immediately headed after her brother. Sting was shouting out the orders she'd taken while also piling up several large dishes on a tray as Orga handed them through the window. She got Mrs. Mine her refill but waited next to her brother for a moment.

Natsu had been right when he'd said something about Sting was off. Lucy knew her brother _very_ well and could tell when he wasn't happy with someone, not that Sting had ever been quiet about voicing his annoyance about others. He seemed to get alone with Natsu fine, really, they were so alike at times it was almost scary, but he seemed annoyed when she and Haru were with him, and for the life of her Lucy couldn't understand why.

"What's wrong with you?" she demanded.

"What?"

Lucy frowned and placed a hand on her hip. "You know what. You act like you don't like Natsu, which is odd because you two are basically peas in a pod."

Her brother shrugged and kept his attention focused on the food. "I like Natsu fine. He and I like to go fishing sometimes at his pond."

"Then what's the deal? Is there something I should know?" she asked seriously.

He sighed and looked over at her. "No. I just want to look out for you is all. You are my favorite sister, ya know."

She snorted, "Yeah right. I'm your _only_ sister."

"All the more reason for me to look out for you," he said and smirked.

"And you need to look out for me because I'm eating breakfast with Natsu?"

He shrugged in his typical 'I'm not going to talk about this anymore' way and Lucy knew there was no point pressing the issue. If it was something serious her brother would have definitely told her. In all likelihood, Sting was probably just being his typical overprotective self. Though, this was getting to be a bit much.

"Okay," she sighed. "I'll take Natsu's food out with mine and Haru's."

Her brother smiled, obviously relieved she hadn't pushed him to explain, and rather ungracefully shoved the now overflowing tray into her arms. "Great! Here's all your food with Natsu's order as well. Don't worry about time, I know Haru can be a handful in the mornings."

"T-thanks," she muttered, too shocked at the amount of food in her arms to say much else. _All this is for one guy?!_

Before taking her break, Lucy took off her apron and name tag, hoping people would think she was just a regular customer, and left the kitchen. Rouge glanced up at her as she passed by the bar.

"Need a hand, Lucy?" he asked, eyeing the tray with a narrowed red eye.

She smiled and would have waved him off if she wasn't so afraid she'd drop the tray. Damn thing was _heavy,_ piled high with a large plate of scrambled eggs, two plates of bacon and sausage and an oversized breakfast burger. Add in her and Haru's appropriately sized plates and the large pot of hot coffee and Lucy was sure she was holding nearly fifty pounds. Well, maybe not _that_ much, but pretty close!

"I've got it Rouge. Thanks though."

The man nodded, a small smile crossing his face before his usual calm expression was back. Careful not to run into anyone this time as she walked outside. Lucy dropped off Mrs. Mine's refill and made her way over to her son and the pink haired man he was with.

Haru and Natsu were both leaning over the table, piles of twigs, leaves, acorns and strips of bark were scattered around the table. Lucy paused a little away and watched them, curious about what they were up to.

"Okay, now he needs a head," Natsu said and Haru shifted around the pile of acorns before pulling out one he deemed acceptable.

"This one," he said.

Natsu grinned and plucked the nut from the boy's hand. "Good one! Now we just gotta glue it on…" Lucy watched as Natsu, with careful precision she wouldn't have thought he was capable of, glued the acorn to what appeared to be the body of a small soldier complete with a leaf vest, twig limbs and a thorn for a sword. It stood on a small bark platform perfectly balanced.

With its head now in place, Natsu carefully sat it aside to dry alongside five others. Most looked the same, acorn head, twig arms and a leaf vest, but some had little pebbles glued to twigs as battle axes instead of thorns for swords.

"While he's drying, we can make the color guard," Natsu said.

"What's a color guard?" Haru asked.

"They're the guys who hold the flags in battle." Natsu frowned and dug into his pocket. "I think I gotta marker in here…" Natsu finally seemed to notice Lucy standing there and he grinned while quickly standing to take the heavy tray from her.

"Lemme get that."

Lucy sighed in relief and let her shoulders slump. "Thanks. I can't believe all that food is for _you_. And I thought Sting had a huge appetite."

Natsu only grinned. "Ah, well…, large appetites run in the family. You wouldn't think lookin' at her, but my sister can really put away the burgers. Won the pie eating contest at the fair three years in a row!"

"Mom!" Haru called. "Mom, look what Natsu and me made!" Lucy chuckled and turned her attention to her son. Haru was carefully holding up one of the little figures and beaming as though it was the greatest thing in the world. "See? Aren't they cool!"

"Oh yes. Very cool," she said, nodding appreciatively.

Haru nodded and seemed to barely contain himself from bouncing in his seat. "They're fairy soldiers. Natsu showed me how to make them."

"Did he now…" Lucy said with a small smile. From the corner of her eye she caught Natsu's excited grin as well. While he and her brother were peas in a pod, Natsu and Haru weren't that different themselves. Both seemed to get excited about the simplest things.

Straightening, Lucy placed her hands on her hips and looked at the twig and leaf strewn table. "Let's clean this up and have breakfast, then you can show me how to make these little soldiers."

Haru's shoulders slumped slightly and he sighed, "Okay…"

"Hey, cheer up little man!" Natsu said, and pulled a second table over to theirs with his foot to set the tray on. "While we eat, you can tell me about the time you saw a bunch of fairies."

At that Haru perked up and quickly cleared the table. He was especially careful with the fairies and used his pillow on the extra seat as a cushion for them to sit on. Somehow, the table was large enough for them all to fit their plates on. Natsu finished off his eggs, bacon and sausage remarkably fast, though, given the fact he barely paused to use a _fork_ , Lucy wasn't too surprised there.

As they ate, Haru told Natsu about the time he and Lucy saw the fairies at Tenrou Lake. Natsu said they were lucky to see them at all, as he'd often had camping trips to the lake as a kid with his family and none of them had ever seen the famous fairies.

Lucy, for the most part, sat back and quietly watched her son interact with a man who was, for many reasons, still a stranger as though they'd known each other for years. While Haru had little trouble being himself around her or his aunt and uncle, he'd always been a little shy with new people. Something that had only intensified when his father passed.

Seeing him open up so easily with a stranger, even a good one, was more than a little confusing for her. Nice, but dangerous. Sweet, but not something she wanted to necessarily become a habit. At least, not at the age Haru was. Still, there was something about the comfortable way Natsu reacted to Haru, and vice versa, that sat well with her and made her smile.

Natsu was showing Haru how to hold the piece of his burger he'd cut off for the small boy when Lucy finally spoke up.

"I don't buy it," she said, making the man look up at her with a questioning look. "There's no way you eat that much every day."

"Every meal, actually," Natsu corrected, taking a large bite of his burger.

Lucy shook her head and leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she did. "No way. No one could afford to eat that much every meal." _And still manage to look that fit_ , though she didn't say the last part out loud.

"Well, me and Sting got an agreement. He gives me a free meal once a day and I check in on Lector for free every month."

Lucy frowned. "Why would a mechanic check in on Lector?"

Natsu looked up at her with his mouth full of food. "Oh. Didn't ya know? I'm not the usual mechanic. I'm the town's ve-"

Lucy's phone abruptly went off, signaling she'd been on break for an hour. While Sting hadn't given her a limit on her break time, she had set an hour limit for herself, not wanting to slack off at her job any more than she likely would considering she still had to worry about Haru. She reached out to tap at the screen just as Natsu's hand shot out to tilt the phone in his direction.

"Wait. _That's_ what time it is?!" He jumped up from his chair and fumbled in his pocket for his keys. " _Shi-oot_. Shoot," he corrected and cast a nervous glance at Haru. Lucy, for her part, was rather impressed he'd managed to watch his language like that.

"Sorry to take off like this, but I gotta go. I'm already late." Pulling out his keys, Natsu ruffled Haru's hair as he rounded the table. "See ya later, kiddo. Bye Luce!"

And then he was dashing across the parking lot. Lucy and Haru blinked and looked after the man nearly sprinting around the corner of the building. Seconds later an engine was being revved and a large red pickup covered with mud was practically peeling out of the lot. Sting wouldn't be pleased to see the two large tracks where Natsu had kicked up the gravel.

"Mom."

"Yes, sweetie."

"Natsu's weird."

"…Yes, sweetie."


	7. Chapter 7: A New Home

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this. Just a quick note, FFF stands for Future Farmers of Fiore, like the FFA (Future Farmers of America). It's basically the same thing. That is all.**

Chapter 7: A New Home

Lucy sighed and cast another worried look at her son while they waited at a red light. Haru was slouching against his door, absently rolling his window up and down while he pouted. His cheek was pressed against the glass and kept sliding up and down with the window, making a soft squeaking noise that only added to the boy's somber vibe. Lucy was starting to worry he'd pinch his skin by doing that, though that wasn't her biggest concern with him.

For the past four days Haru had been in a wonderful mood, all smiles and bubbling energy, and it was all thanks to a certain pink haired man who frequently had breakfast at the local bar and grill outside of town. Each morning, Natsu Dragneel would arrive at Sabretooth to have his free meal, and each morning he would invite Lucy and Haru to join him. Though, Lucy largely suspected the regular invite was more for Haru's benefit than her own.

The man had no issues when Haru had excitedly raced outside to the table he was eating at and shoved the two little fairy soldiers he'd made with Lucy the night before right in his face. He wasn't even upset when Haru had asked him for a bite (more like half) of his breakfast burger, much to Lucy's utter horror. Lucy had quickly followed after her son and was thus roped into eating breakfast alongside the man she really wasn't sure what to think of.

Haru had asked if Happy was there and, like magic, Natsu had reached behind his head to pull the small kitten from his spot nuzzled in the thick folds of the scarf he was wearing once again, despite the impending heat. Haru was practically over the moon to see Happy again, and the kitten had been more than content to be fawned over for the rest of breakfast until Natsu had realized he was late again and had rushed off much the same why he had that first morning the three ate together.

After the second day, Haru had actually made an effort to wake up _early_ since he'd almost missed Natsu completely the day prior. The third day, Happy was once again present, much to Haru's excitement, but Natsu had surprised them both with the box of baby chicks he'd brought. Seeing Haru grinning from ear to ear with a kitten perched on his shoulders and an arm full of peeping chicks while still wearing his dinosaur pajamas had easily been the highlight to Lucy's day. Natsu had explained he was just dropping the chicks off at the library for a summer program covering birds and their growth but the fact he'd even bothered to bring them out to show Haru when he could've easily dropped them off beforehand had really touched Lucy.

Never had someone made such an effort to put a smile on her son's face before they really knew him.

While there were no peeping chicks or, _admittedly_ , cute kittens yesterday, Natsu had produced a small booklet on the many types of fish located in the area from his pants pocket to cheer the boy up. Haru had excitedly looked over the intricate pictures while Lucy and Natsu sat quietly, both content to simply watch the small boy gasp in awe at the different fish. Natsu had patiently answered the many questions Haru had, thoroughly surprising Lucy about his knowledge on fish in general as well.

While Lucy was still a bit concerned about her son becoming so close with someone she _barely knew_ , Lucy had to admit Natsu was wonderful with Haru. He just had such a good way of bonding with him and seemed to have the perfect amount of patience and excitement when dealing with the young boy.

Yukino had told her Natsu had always been good with kids, and was even heavily involved with the local 4-H and FFF clubs. Lucy remembered him saying he had a niece once before, so it would make sense that he knew how to deal with Haru as he did. Yukino had also taken it upon herself to slyly point out Natsu's many other "good qualities", much to Lucy and her brother's annoyance.

No matter how often Lucy insisted that she _wasn't_ interested in Natsu (or any man for that matter) in that way, her sweet sister in-law would only smile and continue rambling on about the pink haired man. Sting was hardly any happier with Yukino's not-so-subtle pushing. The man seemed to be in a constant state of sulking, and his poor attitude meant that Yukino had unofficially banished him to the kitchen for the past three days so he wouldn't snap at the customers. Well, more than what was to be expected from the loud and arrogant man.

That wasn't to say Lucy wasn't enjoying Natsu's company _a little_ though.

They'd somehow fallen into a routine where they'd lightly tease each other and ask the most innocent, basic questions one could ask a stranger. The few times Natsu had asked about her being new to town Lucy had given him the most simplest answer she could manage. She _hardly_ wanted to explain the exact reason she and Haru were moving back to her hometown. Thankfully, Natsu seemed to realize she didn't want to get into too much detail about her or her son's personal life, and though his dark eyes would light up with curiosity when Haru innocently mentioned a little detail about their old life in Crocus, he never pushed the subject. On her or, more importantly, on Haru.

And for that, Lucy was very grateful.

Their little breakfasts often ended with Natsu suddenly realizing he was late, for what Lucy never knew, and as he'd rush off he'd ruffle Haru's hair and call out a loud, "See ya later!" to them both before peeling out of the lot in his mud-caked truck. It was a simple, and admittedly easy, routine for them all to fall into so soon. But Lucy hadn't realized how much those little breakfasts had meant to Haru until that morning when Natsu was unexpectedly absent. Hence the reason for Haru's sour mood.

"Haru, sweetie. Cheer up. Today's going to be exciting! We finally get to move into our new home!"

Haru's head snapped up to her, his large, brown eyes narrowed as his pout only intensified. "But mom! I like living with Uncle Sting and Aunt Yuki! And we can't have breakfast with Natsu every day if we live somewhere _else_."

Lucy had to bit the inside of her cheek to keep from frowning at that. "Haru, you do know we can't always have breakfast with Natsu, right? I'm sure he would like to have breakfast with his _own_ family from time to time."

Haru frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I guess so. But I wanted to show him my dragon skin..."

Lucy sighed and shook her head. Of course Haru was concerned with that. To help occupy his time, Yukino had taken Haru to the local park for a few hours yesterday. The boy had returned to Sabretooth with a _six foot long_ snake skin, though he'd insisted it was from a _dragon_ and _not_ a snake. Sting had given him an old tin cookie box to store it in and Haru had carefully placed his eight fairy soldiers around it to guard his newest treasure.

After proudly showing it to all of Sabretooth's staff, as well as the customers, Haru had wanted to show Natsu as soon as possible. _"Maybe it's from the dragon that saved Natsu!"_ he'd said.

Lucy had felt awful seeing him sit at the bar holding his tin cookie box waiting for Natsu all morning. It wasn't the man's fault, she knew. Surely he had his own life to get back too and it wasn't reasonable for her to expect he be there for her son like he'd unintentionally been doing for the past few days. Haru, it seemed, didn't agree and Lucy wasn't sure how to properly handle the… _situation_.

She had read that children who lost a parent when they were still young often sought out a "replacement" parental figure to the one they lost, but Natsu was _hardly_ like her husband. He was loud, brash, childish, and sometimes impossibly frustrating. Nothing like the suave, calm, gentlemanly, and often flirtatious man she'd once been married too. Really, the two couldn't have been more different in Lucy's opinion. Which made her even more confused about why Haru seemed to have bonded with Natsu so quickly.

She'd honestly thought Haru would attach to his uncle instead, given they'd been very close before the accident anyway. She and Sting had even had a talk over it, they'd been so sure. But while Haru had certainly become closer with his uncle he hadn't become _attached,_ per se. Not the way he was acting with Natsu at least.

Hoping to distract her son, and maybe herself, Lucy had decided to drive into town early that morning and pick up the deeds to her house. While Lucy had technically been the cottages' owner for many years, the proper paperwork had needed to be updated and put through the town's system, as well as the town's mandatory inspections done. Her husband had settled a lot of that early on but Lucy had still needed to tie up any loose ends before she and Haru could officially move in.

"Well, I'm sure you will see Natsu around here sometime. A town as small as Magnolia means we'll be bound to run into each other eventually," she said, turning to smile brightly at her son. "But for now, let's have some fun!"

"Moving isn't fun."

"Of course it is," Lucy said, feigning astonishment. Haru only shrugged as he slumped further against his seat. Lucy was starting to wonder if he was only upset about missing Natsu or if he was starting to regret moving to Magnolia all together. A little desperate to cheer him up, Lucy wracked her brain for _anything_ that seemed even a little exciting. Her eyes widened and a wide smile broke across her face as she thought of something.

"Our new home is quite special, you know" she said. "My mother used to tell me she had little sprites that lived in the walls and would steal her toys if she ever left them lying around."

Haru instantly perked up, though he remained slouched in his seat. "Really? Grandma had sprites too?"

"Mmhmm," she hummed while nodding. Back at their old home, Lucy was often warning her son about the little sprites that lived in the walls and would take his toys if he ever left them out. Her husband had thought it was just a clever way to get him to clean his room but Lucy knew better. She had once lost her favorite doll for _years_ after leaving it in the garden for a few hours to eat lunch. Her brother had found it in the attic, of all places, as he was looking for extra furniture to take to college. Suspiciously enough, none of her family's maids had put it there when Lucy asked them. She'd been sure it was sprites then, and whenever Lucy lost something only to later find it in a place she _knew_ she hadn't left it she blamed the sprites hiding in her walls.

"Your grandma used to lose a lot of things to those sprites," she continued. Lucy glanced at Haru and winked. "Maybe you can find some of her lost treasures. You'll have to look _real_ hard though. Sprites are veryclever at hiding their riches."

"I will!" Haru cheered, beaming once again as he punched a small fist in the air. "I'll find them and we can take them to grandma later, right?"

Lucy smiled softly. "Yes. I'm sure your grandma would love that very much, Haru."

He smiled softy back at her, both thinking of the kind woman that only one of them truly knew. Turning down Central Lane, Lucy drove all the way down to the end of the street to Town Square. The roundabout was right in front of the town's Hall with grassy knolls lining the sides and a cute little gazeebo in the center circle of the road next to the statue of the town's founder, Mavis Vermillion.

Given that Magnolia had _very_ little traffic, the gazeebo and center circle was rarely empty. Even this early, a group of women, and a few men, were having a yoga class in the grass and elderly couples sat on the benches spaced throughout the Square. The whole scene looked like it belonged in a magazine. Advertising the simple pleasures in life.

Pulling up in front of Magnolia's Town Hall, Lucy and Haru took a moment to openly gawk at the old building. It was one of the four remaining original buildings from the town's initial construction. The Cathedral, court house and school, which was now the library, were proudly advertised as historical landmarks, and some of the oldest structures in southern Fiore.

And it certainly showed.

Despite its age, the building was in pristine condition. Much like the Cathedral and other historical buildings, a regular up keep was mandatory for the town's function. Many tourists would come to see the famous structures as well as attend the many festivals throughout the summer. It was what kept the town in a good financial state, as well as on the map.

The large stone building was three stories tall, no doubt with high, vault ceilings making each story taller than what was normal. A large dome centered in the middle of the structure acted as a clock tower with four separate faces on each side. The overall style for the building was gothic and closely matched Kardia Cathedral, with its sharp doorways and heavily detailed sides. Its size was second only to the Cathedral itself.

"It's like a castle…" Haru muttered.

Lucy smiled at that and clicked off the truck. "Then we shall storm the gates and obtain the deeds to our house, my little hero!"

Which was how the receptionist at the front desk saw Lucy and Haru burst through the high wooden doors laughing as they "charged" the lobby and dashed over to the front desk.

"M-may I help you?" the woman asked. She was perhaps a few years younger than Lucy with wavy, bubblegum pink hair pulled back into a high ponytail and vivid red eyes that likely wouldn't have looked so large were she not so clearly shocked.

"We're here for our house's deed!" Haru said, trying to peek over the counter as he stood up on his toes. The woman blinked and had to rise out of her chair to look over the counter at the small boy excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet with a wide grin spread across his chubby cheeks. Lucy couldn't hold back her own grin as she watched her son proudly list off his name, as well as her own, and the address to their new home.

Her son was honestly adorable. And even better than watching him was seeing complete strangers come to the same conclusion. The receptionist's confusion slowly morphed into a soft smile as Haru ranted on about moving to their new home. After a moment, Lucy placed a hand on her son's shoulder, quieting him so she could explain things a bit more clearly than Haru had.

"Sorry. You'll have to forgive us. We're a bit excited today."

The woman giggled behind her hand. "I can see that. So, I gather you must be the new family moving here?"

Lucy sighed and rolled her shoulders. Gossip sure did travel fast in Magnolia. "You could say that. I grew up here but now my son and I are moving back from Crocus." She ignored the woman's raised eyebrow as she reached into her purse to pull out the necessary files she needed to pass to the receptionist as she spoke.

"Well…new or old, welcome to our town. Again." The woman smiled brightly and held out a hand over the counter. "I'm Meredy. Nice to meet you, ah…what did you say your name was again?"

Lucy smiled and took the woman's hand to give a quick shake. "Lucy Heartfilia. Anyway, I've owned this house for five years now, but I'm only now moving here. I have the required paper work already filled out so all that's left is-"

"Wait! Are you related to Layla Heartfilia?" Meredy asked suddenly.

Lucy sighed and rubbed her temple. Despite the fact that her family was one of the most well-known names in Magnolia, it still amazed her how very few people actually _knew_ who she was around here. Had her father not been so protective of her and her brother, most of the town would have known them as well as they did everyone else. Really, Lucy was pretty sure she knew more people in _Hargeon_ than Magnolia.

She still remembered how Sting had ranted and raved when he first opened his restaurant after college. Most of the townsfolk had thought he was an outsider and had avoided his business for the first few months simply because they didn't know him. Sting had blamed their father for 'hiding them away from their own town' and had demanded he attend the next town meeting to officially 'claim him as his son'. Lucy had laughed at how ridiculous her brother had been, but after walking the streets of Magnolia for nearly a week and only being recognized by a handful of people, she was starting to understand where her brother was coming from.

"She was my mother, actually."

Meredy nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as she leaned back in her seat. "I'm not surprised. You look just like her, you know?"

"So I've heard." Lucy was honestly a little surprised that Meredy was able to make the connection between her and her mother at all. Most of the people in town who recognized her were older people who'd known her mother and recognized Lucy because of it. Not many people her age knew her mother despite the woman being so social and involved with the town's many functions.

Lucy shook her head to clear it and slid the papers across the counter. "Anyway. I've done everything I can so all that's needed is for these to be notarized."

Meredy smiled and took the papers to glance through them with an approving nod. "Consider it done. Erza mentioned you'd come by soon so I have everything all set." She spun in her chair to the large wooden filing cabinets behind her and began pulling out some extra papers and stamps.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Erza talked to you?" Lucy had known her old friend tended to get involved in people's business, but she hadn't thought she would call into Town Hall to bring up her housing. That seemed a bit much even for her.

"Yeah. Since Jellal is out of town for the moment she just relays any information from him to me instead. She just mentioned that I should get things ready for you too." Meredy sighed and slumped back in her chair as she continued to stamp the pages. "Honestly. Sometimes I feel like the Assistant Mayor."

Lucy blinked. "Jellal's the Assistant Mayor?"

"Oh no. He's the mayor and Ultear is the Assistant Mayor. I'm just the secretary."

Lucy went to ask about how Ultear was when Haru tugged at her shirt. "Moooom. How much longerrrr?" he whined.

Meredy smiled and stood from her chair to hand Lucy her copies of the papers. "Actually. It's all done. Here are your copies and…uh…keys…" she mumbled as she turned to walk into a back room marked as staff only.

"Take your time," Lucy called.

"Mom?" Lucy hummed as she carefully folded her papers and tucked them away in her file. She'd make sure to put them with her records as soon as she had her filing cabinets unloaded. "Can we explore the castle?"

"Town Hall. And I'm afraid we can't take a tour today. But, I'll tell you what. When we have dinner with Erza and Reiki tomorrow we'll ask them if they could show us around." She crouched down so she was level with her son and winked. "Since Reiki's dad works here, I'm sure he knows all the secret places in this building too."

Haru gave a mischievous grin and nodded just as Meredy returned with the spare house key. Both now fully satisfied and with the deed in their hands, Lucy and Haru hopped in their truck and quickly drove to the little housing district of Magnolia. Strawberry Street was located on the southwest side of the small town with a small river running parallel to the road that separated it from the rest of the town. It was, in Lucy's honest opinion, the most pristine place to raise a family.

Most of the homes along the street were old fashioned, like the cottage, with steeply sloped roofs that were slightly curved around the top and over hanging edges with stone shingles and white or yellow timber framed sides. Every house was well looked after, with little white picket fences bordering their lawns and flowers practically over flowing the window boxes. Since it was summer, children were outside playing in the front yard or rushing across the street to swim in the shallow river under the watchful gaze of their mothers who folded laundry on the porch or weeded their flowerbeds. It was the exact place Lucy had always wanted for Haru to grow up in, even when they'd lived in Crocus.

Pulling up into their driveway, Lucy groaned as she saw the cottage wasn't in as good of condition as she'd thought. The regular maintenance her father had imposed must have only gone as far as mowing the lawn and power washing the sides. Thankfully, the roof was in good condition, save for a few patches of moss growing on the sides under the overhanging weeping willow in the back yard, and the house and front porch didn't look to need repainting anytime soon. The only work that needed to be done was weeding and replanting the flowerbeds, and no doubt the garden in the backyard was even worse. Hopefully, the inside was a little better.

Her brother was already there with the trailer parked out front and partly unloaded as he and Rouge carried Lucy's work desk up the front steps into the house. Haru was grinning wildly as he jumped out of the truck and dashed over to his uncle, already talking about how he planned on finding his grandma's lost treasures from the sprites. Lucy had to resist the urge to pat her back at her job-well-done in cheering the boy up. Not that Haru was particularly hard to please, but it was still a success to Lucy.

The cottage was certainly small, with only two bedrooms upstairs and the whole ground floor dedicated to the living space. The front porch wasn't as large as Lucy remembered either, being only big enough to fit a few rocking chairs comfortably, but it was more than enough for her and Haru.

 _Besides. The backyard is the best place to sit outside anyway_ , she thought.

"Don't just stand there all day, sis!" Sting yelled as he handed Haru a box labeled 'Haru's clothes'. "Get over here and help out!"

It took most of the day for the four of them to unload the trailer, mainly because the doorways and halls were so narrow most of the furniture needed to be carried in at odd angles or even partially dismantled and reassembled in another room. Most of the original furniture was still in the house so Lucy hadn't bothered bringing much from their old apartment. It wouldn't have matched anyway. The only large pieces of furniture she'd brought was Haru's bedroom furniture, her own bed, the chest of draws that had been the first thing she and her husband had bought together when they were still dating, the writing desk that had been her mothers and her father's leather lounge chair that was easily big enough to fit her and Haru comfortably. Mostly, they'd simply moved boxes.

Walking through the front door, the living room was on the left, with the fireplace and whole left wall made of large, round rocks. To the right was the "music room" as her grandma had often called it, where her grandpa's old piano sat in front of the window and the tv was propped up in the corner. Most of the boxes had ended up there until Lucy could begin unpacking everything. Going through the living room led to the kitchen, which was so small the table could only seat three comfortably. How her brother had managed to fit a dish washer, modern stove, and refrigerator in there was quite impressive.

Through the music room was a small alcove that her grandma had used as her indoor garden to grow and store her herbs. Lucy had already decided to make it her office once she moved the old pots and bags of soil to the shed out back. The large windows that lined the back corner and extended partly over the ceiling offered a wonderful view of the garden and had always been one of Lucy's favorite places to sit and read when she visited her grandma.

A toilet had been added to the storage closet down the front hall under the stairs, as well as a full bathroom upstairs in what had been the smallest bedroom. For the most part, it looked like they would only have _a lot_ of cleaning to do but there were no repairs that needed to be made. Though, the sheer amount of scrubbing, dusting, mopping, sweeping, and vacuuming they'd already done was enough to have Lucy groaning as she found yet another dust ball the size of a softball in the wash room across from the stairs.

"Well, the electricity works fine. Aaaaaand Haru got the tv working," Sting said, walking inside from the back door at the end of the hall just as the distinct sounds of cartoons quickly filled the hallway.

"Not too loud Haru," Lucy called as she and Sting headed into the living room. Haru nodded from his spot in his grandpa's leather chair, his green pillow and tin box held under each arm. They'd been cleaning for the past six hours straight and had only managed to get the bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchen done. Haru had been particularly busy with unpacking his items and putting them away in his room. Lucy was very proud of his continued help throughout the day and, as such, had decided to splurge for dinner and order the best pizza in town. That and she was also tired of hearing Sting complain about needing food.

Lucy and Sting both sighed as they flopped down on the old couch in front of the stone fireplace, sending up a small cloud of dust in the process. Rouge had already gone home, offering to drop off the trailer at Sting's on his way as it was his truck that had towed it to the house. Lucy would have to do something to thank him for all his help later. Maybe bake him some cookies, though Rouge never did strike her as the sweets-liking type.

Lucy looked out the front window at the setting sun reflected off the river and smiled. Intense cleaning or not, this little house was perfect. Well, almost. Lucy couldn't help the heavy feeling in her chest at the thought that her husband would have loved it here. She could just picture him poking her side until she finally relented and played the piano while he spun Haru round and round the room. Lucy winced and clutched at her shirt, trying her best to ignore the way her heart ached. Her husband had always loved her playing, saying it was a melody best suited for the angels or some other equally cheesy comment. She hadn't played since she'd lost him.

Sting yawned and threw an arm around her shoulders lazily, jerking Lucy from her thoughts. "This place hasn't changed a bit. I keep expecting Grandma Anna to walk in here with cookies."

Lucy gave a small smile. Somehow her brother always knew when he needed to pull her from her own thoughts. _Mother's intuition_ , she thought with a soft giggle.

"Or yell that the chicken and dumplings are ready," Lucy said, nodding.

Sting hummed and they both slumped further into the cushions and plush pillows. Somehow, their grandma had always managed to keep her pillows and cushions soft and fluffy, despite them being so old. They'd always loved their grandparent's house. It'd always seemed so cozy and happy compared to the huge, empty plantation they'd grown up in. Filled with the delicious smells of their grandma's homemade cooking, the soft melodies of their grandpa playing the piano and their mother's laughter.

Sting chuckled and propped his feet up on the ottoman in front of them. "Hey. Remember how we'd always sneak into the kitchen and eat the noodles while they were sitting on the table. They were still raw so we'd pretend they were worms."

Lucy grinned, closing her eyes as she pictured the fond memory. Their grandma's recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings involved letting the noodles rest for two hours before adding them to the broth. Anna would lay them out on the table after carefully rolling and cutting each one to the perfect length and would promptly leave them knowing full well Lucy and Sting would be waiting behind the couch to eat the sweet dough.

"Yeah. And Grandma would yell at us not eat them from somewhere but I could always hear her laughing too."

"Funny how she always made twice as many noodles as she needed."

Lucy chuckled, "Remember when grandpa caught us? He just took a handful of noodles, winked and walked out."

Sting laughed. "He covered for our asses so many times."

" _Language_. And that's cause _you_ always got us into trouble," Lucy added while nudging his side with her elbow, a devious grin spreading over her face. Sting yelped and poked Lucy in her own side, making her let out a _very_ unladylike squawk.

"Serves you right," he said, smirking, and Lucy was tempted to shove his face in the corner along with all the dust balls when there was a knock at the door.

"Pizza's here!" Haru hollered and bounded from his chair to the window in a manner that was _quite_ impressive given how "exhausted" he was a moment ago. Pulling the curtains aside to peek through the crack barely open enough for his one eye to look through, he snickered and whispered for Lucy to hurry up. Sting quickly joined him with a childish giggle himself, both crouching under the window when there was another knock. Lucy rolled her eyes and opened the door for the teenage boy standing outside.

He was rather tall and lanky, the way most teenage boys were, with messy, dark purple hair shoved under a ball cap with the logo 'Marco's Pizzeria' stitched into the front. His dark eyes blinked in surprise when she opened the door and he grinned in a way that was too similar to another cheerful man Lucy knew.

"Oh, hey. I didn't think anyone lived here." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, also similar to someone she knew. "Was startin' to worry this was a prank."

Lucy shook her head and quickly smiled back. "Oh, sorry about that. We actually just moved in today," she said.

He nodded. "Cool. Uh, welcome to our town." He lifted the dark blue pizza bag and carefully balanced it on one hand while reaching in to pull out two large pizzas. "Okay. So I have one large cheese and one large supreme with extra peppers and a two liter of soda."

Lucy nodded and reached into her purse for her wallet. "Sounds right. How much do I owe you?"

"Eighteen fifty."

Lucy blinked. "That little?" On the rare occasions they'd had pizza at Crocus, it cost nearly twice as much for pop and one pizza.

The boy grinned and shrugged. "Dad's whole thing is about good pizza for good prices. Though, his house specials are pretty expensive."

"Geez, what's taking so long, sis!" Sting suddenly rounded the doorway and practically shoved past her to take the pizzas and soda. "Hey Romeo. Long time no see," Sting said with a casual nod. Romeo barely had a chance to say hi back before Sting was walking down the hall with Haru hot on his heels.

Sting turned and frowned back at Lucy. "Well? Pay the kid and let's eat."

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him and paid Romeo, making sure to apologize on her brother's behalf and give him a generous tip. Grumbling under her breath as she closed the door she heard Sting practically wail from the kitchen, "What the hell?! Why are there peppers on my pizza!"

Lucy smirked as she walked down the hall. "Oops. I thought you _liked_ peppers, little brother."

* * *

Sting did his best to open the door as quietly as possible. The last thing he wanted was to wake up Yukino at this hour. After having dinner with Lucy and Haru, which he was _still_ upset over, Sting had stayed a little longer to help his sister unpack a few more things and finish the kitchen. Haru had passed out right after dinner and he and Lucy had taken the newfound quiet to get the kitchen completely ready for the morning. Minus any real food, that is.

He'd have to make a few casseroles and simple meals they could heat up in the oven tomorrow. Lucy would likely complain that he was overdoing it again. _But_ , as Sting thought, _that's what family was for_. And he had always been one to _occasionally_ overdo it when it came to spoiling his loved ones. Sue him.

Growing up it was mostly Lucy that looked after him, especially when their mom died, but they had always had each other's backs. Aside from Rouge, and eventually Yukino, Lucy had for a while been the only real family Sting had known. He was so young when their mom passed that he had trouble remembering her in even the most basic ways. More often than he'd like to admit, Sting would find himself talking about something his mother used to do for him, only to later realize it was actually his sister. Their father had thrown himself into his work after Layla's death, leaving Sting and Lucy largely to themselves, which meant they'd grown closer than most siblings probably did. And if that meant Sting liked to treat his big sister with some casseroles when she got a new house, then dammit he would!

Slipping into the bedroom, Sting smirked at the position his wife had to sleep in when he wasn't there. Instead of being pressed tightly against his side, with her large belly resting heavily on his hip, she had two of the plush throw pillows shoved under her right side. Without his arm around her shoulders, Yukino had to take a large pillow to stuff under her left side and keep her in place. That was one thing Sting loved, and Yukino hated, about her pregnancy. She had to sleep on her back.

Sting loved it because she always looked so funny propped up by most of their pillows and Yukino hated it because she had always preferred to sleeping on her stomach. And he may also have liked the fact that his wife slept best when pressed up against him. It was a pleasant feeling to have her against his side as well as a nice boost to his ego.

Kicking off his pants and tossing his shirt in the hamper in the corner, Sting stood at the foot of the bed and looked at her for a moment. Given the summer heat that was starting to cling to everything even as the sun set, Yukino had worn a silk maternity tank top and a simple pair of shorts to bed. She'd even forgone any blankets, something she only did when it was "hotter than hellfire in June". Her words, not his.

Sting climbed up onto the bed and carefully batted the pillows away from her right side. Wrapping his arms around her middle he was careful to keep all his weight settled on his arms and off her. He paused to kiss the star tattoo on her left waist where her shirt had bunched up before settling along her side.

Yukino sighed and Sting paused when he felt a small hand shift through his hair.

"I woke you up. Sorry," he mumbled against her skin.

She only hummed and kept playing with his hair. "You're home late."

He sighed and laid his head against her stomach, straining to hear their baby's heartbeat, something Sting _swore_ he could hear despite what the doctors said. "Yeah. Lucy needed help cleaning. Place was a mess. I'll bet it hasn't been clean since gran and gramps died."

"Such a sweet little brother," Yukino cooed and pinched his cheek playfully.

Sting growled and nipped at her side. "Don't you start too. I just had to endure hours of teasing from my _own sister_ , and eat pizza with _peppers on it_."

Yukino only giggled as she patted his cheek. "I'm sorry. So you didn't have fun then?"

Sting sighed and tightened his arms slightly around his wife's waist. How she still had her curves even when she was this far along he'd never know. When his sister was pregnant she'd swollen up all over like a sponge in water. He and Rouge had had a bet she was going to have twins she was so big. "It was fine. Would've been better if Haru hadn't blabbed about Natsu all day."

"Natsu?" Yukino asked, and Sting was _sure_ he'd heard her grin as she did.

"Yeah. He found another snake skin in the garden and wouldn't stop talking about dragons and that pink haired idiot. It was a pain in the ass."

"Well, I think it's cute." And now he knew she was grinning.

Sting scoffed and tilted his head glare up at her. "I'll bet you do. This is all _your_ fault, you know."

"How so?" she asked, tilting her head slightly and giving him a soft smile. She was much too calm about this.

Sting pushed up off her to give her a proper glare as he loomed over her. "How so? Well…uh…you're always going on and on about how great he is. If you weren't talking him up so much Haru would've gotten bored with him by now!"

Yukino tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Are you sure you're not upset that Natsu and Lucy have been getting rather close instead?"

Well, shit.

"That's another thing!" Sting went on, ignoring the knowing look on his wife's face. "Lucy has enough to deal with without you setting her up."

"I'm not setting her up. Just telling her about her new neighbors, so to speak. We are a very close town you know."

Sting huffed and moved to bury his face in the pillow beside her head. "That ain't what you're doing and you know it," he grumbled. They laid there for a while in silence, Yukino reaching out to rub soothing circles against his shoulder blades after she'd positioned herself a bit more comfortably. "She's not ready," he mumbled after a moment. "She needs more time, and she definitely doesn't need to start back up with _Natsu,_ of all people."

Yukino hummed. "I think she and Natsu would do well together. As _friends_. And maybe, eventually, as more."

" _No_."

Yukino's calm expression didn't change as Sting practically growled his objection. She was so used to his outbursts and always knew when to keep calm and let him roll though it or when to step in pull him back. Apparently this was one moment where Sting needed to be pulled back. "Eucliffe. Why are you so against Lucy and Natsu spending time together?"

Sting turned his head further into the pillow. "You know why," he mumbled into the pillow. "The man hasn't had a serious relationship since _high school_ , Yuki. Whenever things start to get serious, he'll leave. I don't want my sister to be the one he practices getting serious with next."

She was silent for a moment, only rubbing his back gently, but Sting wasn't fooled to think she'd dropped the topic. "You know, many people thought the same about you when we first started dating."

Sting snapped his head up so fast he honestly felt a little dizzy. "Who? Was it Rufus? I swear, I'll kick his ass!"

Yukino giggled and placed on hand on her stomach over Sting's, prompting him to quiet down. Though he was still fuming. "No. It wasn't Rufus. But people did tell me you weren't serious about dating. Especially someone like me."

"Yukino…"

She smiled and brought his hand up to kiss his fingers. "It's fine. I never believed them anyway." She sighed and tucked herself closer to his side. "I only bring it up because they were wrong about us. About you. So maybe you shouldn't be too hard on Natsu. Besides," she smiled softly and her eyes began to droop. "Natsu has always valued family above all else. I doubt he'll do anything to hurt Lucy or Haru. He's good like that."

Sting huffed and decided not to deny or agree with his wife at the moment. They laid there for a while completely silent. Sting softly stroked his hand over Yukino's stomach and listened to her breathing settle back into the slow rhythm of sleep. Just as he was about to slip off to sleep himself, Sting heard his wife whisper softly in his ear.

"I only push because I think Lucy _is_ ready. She just doesn't know it yet."

* * *

For the one day when Lucy didn't need to go to work, she was very busy that Sunday. She'd woken up early to the sound of birds chirping and the willow branches brushing against her bedroom window. It was _far_ nicer than waking up from her brother cutting wood but she would have rather stayed in bed a little longer regardless. She'd spent most of the morning cleaning downstairs and unpacking what she could.

Mostly, she'd focused on the alcove and soon-to-be office, since she and Sting had managed to get most of the kitchen done and the living room could be saved for last. Thank Mavis she'd always been such an organized person, otherwise Lucy was sure it would have taken even longer to find everything.

Haru slept until practically noon, not that Lucy particularly minded. After their busy day yesterday, she thought her son deserved a chance to sleep in. That and she found she was able to get things done a _little_ faster without Haru tugging her off to show her some little nook or cranny he'd discovered. He'd been especially happy to find the old cuts in his door frame made to show the progressing height of his grandma when Layla had been his age. And the ones to mark Lucy and Sting's as well. Lucy had carefully cut a fresh mark to show Haru's height and he'd grinned for hours afterwards.

Once Haru did wake up they spent the beautiful day outside weeding the not-so-beautiful back garden. To say it was over grown was an understatement. Weeds as tall as Haru covered the once lush patches of flowerbeds and had even managed to overrun some of the yard despite it having been mowed often. Lucy was still at the same flowerbed under the kitchen window she'd started at when Haru came running over to her side. Dirt and leaves were stuck to his hair and clothes and he had a twig somehow stuck to his forehead.

"Mom! Mom! Look what I found!"

Lucy turned on her knees and looked Haru up and down cautiously. If he found a snake or some large bug she was going to scream. Instead, Haru stood before her with a wide, excited grin stretched over his face holding a figurine that was an odd mix-up between a grandfather clock and a gnome. It was about a foot tall with a gnome-like face complete with chubby cheeks, a curling mustache and bushy eyebrows. The body looked like a grandfather clock and the face had four symbols to show the four seasons placed at the twelve, three, six, and nine spots. There was even a pendulum hanging inside, though the glass had been removed long ago. Its wire arms were stretched out to its sides, making him look comically stiff, especially with the patches of leaves and moss still stuck to his sides.

"Oh. You found Horologium," she said, blinking in surprise. She'd thought he'd been lost ages ago.

Haru blinked and turned the figure around to look at him more closely. "Horo- Horologee…"

"Horologium. He's your great grandma Anna's."

Haru's eyes widened and he started bouncing on his feet excitedly. "Is he one of grandma's stolen treasures?!"

Lucy chuckled and gently took the clock-gnome from her son. "No. The sprites never stole him." She looked at Haru and winked. "They wouldn't dare take the garden's protector."

Haru gasped. "He's the garden's protector?"

"Yep."

Haru frowned and placed his hands on his hips as he looked around the overgrown garden. "Well. He hasn't done a good job."

Lucy laughed so hard she nearly fell over. Haru actually did and was rolling around in the grass when Sting and Yukino walked outside with the much welcome surprise of food. They had lunch and Lucy and Sting spent the day in the kitchen cooking casseroles, both claiming to know how to cook their grandma's recopies best. Haru had gladly taken Yukino on a tour of the house, showing her all the "cool spots" and best hiding places.

By the time Sting and Yukino left, Lucy and Haru only had an _hour_ to get ready before they had to be over to the Fernandes' house for dinner. It might not have been so stressful if the two weren't still covered in dirt from earlier and there was only one bath tub. As it was, they were now standing in front of the town house in the newer section of Magnolia ten minutes late and with a loaf of banana bread that Lucy dearly hoped was baked all the way through since she'd taken it out of the oven fifteen minutes early.

Haru was holding his tin cookie box tightly to his chest, wanting to show Reiki his fairy soldiers and snake skins. Lucy gave her son one final look over before knocking on the door. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from fidgeting. Until then she hadn't been able to be nervous, too focused on all the work she needed to do at home to worry about finally chatting with one of her dearest and closest friends from childhood.

Of course she and Erza had talked over the phone several times, but sitting down for dinner seemed so much more personal and final. Like this was when Lucy would finally return to Magnolia and really belong.

The door opened and Erza smiled her polite smile, long red hair swinging behind her like she'd rushed for the door. "Lucy. Haru. It's good to see you two. I was starting to wonder if you forgot about our dinner date. You are twelve minutes late after all."

Lucy sighed and felt her shoulders droop. "O-of course we wouldn't forget. To be honest, Haru has hardly stopped talking about seeing Reiki-"

"Haru! You're here!" Reiki appeared in the door way behind his mother, his smile more subdued compared to Haru's large grin but just as happy.

"Reiki!" Haru cried and pushed past Erza to show Reiki his tin box. Lucy thought she might actually faint at the completely rude behavior (one should wait until they are _invited_ inside before barging into someone's house) but Erza didn't seem to mind as she only motioned for Lucy to follow.

Haru bounced on his feet while practically shoving the tin box into Reiki's hands. "Reiki! You'll never guess what I found! It's soooo cool."

Reiki chuckled but the way his eyes lit up it was obvious he was excited too. "Mom? Can me and Haru go play in my room?"

Haru grinned and tugged at Reiki's sleeve. "Good idea. It's a secret anyway."

Lucy rolled her eyes, not bothering to point out that Haru had already showed half the town his snake skin. Her son had always had a soft spot for secrets. Even if he wasn't always good at keeping them. Erza nodded and chuckled as the two boys raced upstairs like they'd done so a hundred times before. Erza wasn't wrong when she'd said they would get along well.

"I see you forgot that I said you wouldn't have to bring anything along with the time."

Lucy cringed as she followed Erza into the kitchen. While the design of the home was modern in Magnolia standards, the décor was just as country as Lucy's. Well, maybe a _bit_ more modern, but nothing like the apartment Lucy had lived in back in Crocus. The kitchen was painted a soft yellow that managed to catch the waning sunlight streaming through the large front windows rather well. The center island already held trays of fruit and vegetables along with some bowls of chips. Wicker stools lined the bar top side of the island and matched the end tables in the living room. The place was wonderfully homey, and Lucy felt a little silly for being nervous before.

"Well, to be honest, I don't think it's completely done baking. So if it's finished up here then it's kinda like you half-baked it."

Erza hummed and plucked a toothpick from the box on the counter to check the bread. "I suppose I can allow that," she said when the toothpick came out with batter on the tip.

Lucy smirked. "It wouldn't have anything to do with you loving my banana bread would it?"

Erza gave the smallest of smiles as she placed the bread into the oven. "Perhaps."

Lucy laughed and looked around the kitchen. "Well, give me something to do. I'll feel silly sitting while you do all the work."

"You can set the table. Most of the food is almost done, so there isn't much left to do."

"What are we having?" Lucy asked, doing her best to keep the nervousness from her voice. She hadn't forgotten how truly awful Erza's cooking could be. Hopefully she had chosen some simple dishes to make.

"Steamed carrots and green beans, mashed potatoes, cooked chicken that's seasoned with lemon and peach cobbler for dessert. Well, and your banana bread."

Lucy nodded. Sounded easy enough, so long as every ingredient was used in the proper amount. Hopefully. "Well, it sounds wonderful."

Erza nodded as she pulled out a large pitcher of tea from the fridge. "It's one of Jellal's favorites."

"Oh, speaking of him. I didn't know he worked as the town's mayor? I thought he wanted to be a lawyer."

Erza shook her head. "Oh no. Jellal has always been interested in government and politics. In college, he worked as an apprentice for the state's board of directors. We moved back to Magnolia and within that year he was elected treasurer and four years later the mayor."

The way Erza spoke, how her eyes lit up with love and pride made Lucy want to smile and tear up at the same time. She had once looked like that when talking about her husband and his job working with the city and country to better the homes for orphans. As an orphan himself, he knew exactly what it was like to not have a family and wanted to do everything he could to give children like him a better life. A better future.

She didn't realize Erza had spoken until the woman placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lucy? Are you alright?"

Lucy gave a shaky smile that she knew didn't fool the redhead for a minute. "I'm fine. Sorry, what did you say?"

Erza looked at her for a moment longer before taking her hand and pulling Lucy to the barstools. "Sit. I think I have a bottle of wine somewhere, but we can only have one glass."

Lucy nodded, not sure what exactly to say. Erza was silent as she took two wine glasses from the cabinet and poured the wine. She slid onto the stool next to Lucy and handed her the wine. Neither said anything for a moment and Lucy knew it was Erza's way of letting Lucy decide if she wanted to talk about it or not.

" _We can talk if you'd like. Or not talk at all."_

Lucy took a deep breath, swirling the dark red wine around her glass. "My husband used to work in politics too. Not as an official or anything, but the organization he ran was closely tied to the city council."

"What did he do? If you don't mind me asking."

Lucy smiled softly, still looked down at her glass. "He worked with orphanages. He'd help them raise funds to build better rooms for the kids, make sure each kid was given a good education even if they weren't in the best district. Helped the people who ran them know how to help the kids go to college and get scholarships. He was working on getting a big-brother program working in Crocus last year." Before the accident, though Lucy very carefully left that part out. "He wanted the kids to have someone they could look up to and ask questions with like most would with their parents. The old man who ran the orphanage he grew up in had always made sure to be there for the twelve kids he looked after, even if he wasn't in the best financial place."

Lucy peeked up at her friend. Erza smiled softly and reached out to place a hand on Lucy's arm. "He sounds like a wonderful man. I wish I could have met him."

Lucy smiled and quickly wiped at her eyes, the last thing she wanted was for Haru to come downstairs and see her crying. "I think you have gotten along. Though, you probably wouldn't have liked him before we were dating. The man was a constant flirt. And not always as smooth as he claimed."

Erza chuckled. "But he managed to get you to fall for him. Someone who was too busy looking at the stars to realize when men were even talking to you," she teased.

Lucy laughed, no longer feeling as sad as before. "Only because he introduced himself by literally jumping in front of my face. Nearly had me falling into his arms. Which prompted the cheesiest pickup line I've ever heard."

Erza laughed. "Oh, I have to hear about this."

As the two talked and waited for the food to finish, Lucy found that she wasn't quite as sad talking about first meeting her husband. She'd been right to think she and Haru would need to step back to truly get past their grief, and while there were certainly times when they both missed the man dearly, not being reminded of him constantly did allow them to begin to think back of the wonderful man that had meant the world to both of them and give even the smallest of smiles. It worked for Lucy and as she laughed alongside her old friend, talking about the silly things their husbands did, she didn't feel a weight in her chest, but like a breath of fresh air for the first time in a year.

Upstairs, Reiki had shown Haru around, pointing out where the bathroom was as well as the few closets before showing Haru his room. It was completely clean, the Ten Wizard Saints cartoon bed spread perfectly folded and all the toys placed in the toy box under the window. Trophies and ribbons for fencing and tee ball lined a dusty shelf over the bed and a model plane hung from the ceiling over a racecar track.

Haru gasped as he looked at the plane. It had to be as long as him! "Cool…" he mumbled.

Reiki smiled. "Me and my dad built it. We're going to show it in the fair this year."

"Can it fly!?" Haru asked, clutching his hands with a mischievous grin stretched over his face. He could already think of several ways he could prank his uncle by flying a plane over his head. Dropping goo or something stinky seemed like the best idea.

Reiki shook his head quickly, like he could picture what Haru was thinking. "No. It's just for show."

Haru frowned and let his shoulders slump. "Darn. It woulda been cool to fly it." He cast another look around the room. "Your room's really clean. I'll bet you never have any sprites steal your stuff."

Reiki laughed before turning his attention back to the tin box in his hands. "So what did you want to show me?"

Haru instantly brightened. "Oh! It's so cool! Here." He carefully took the tin box's lid of, "I hid it in here with my fairy soldiers guarding it. See?"

Reiki peered inside, dark eyes widening first with curiosity and then with confusion. "Um…you wanted to show me a snake skin?"

Haru gasped. "No!" He carefully pulled the paper thin skin from the box. It was waxy feeling and very smooth but also fragile, like it would break if someone touched it too quickly. Which was why Haru was always very careful when holding it. "It's a dragon's skin. See? The scales are _just like_ a dragon's."

Reiki leaned forward to get a closer look. "I don't know, Haru…That looks an awful lot like a snake skin. Besides. I don't think dragons are real."

"Course they are! And this is a dragon's skin. I'm _sure_. And I'm gonna find the dragon too."

Reiki hummed and looked thoughtful for a moment. "How would you find a dragon anyway? They must be really good at hide and seek if no one's found one yet."

Haru scoffed as he carefully rolled the skin and placed it back in the tin box. "Well, first you gotta make sure your heart is pure, so you can see magic and stuff, and then you have to find the dragon's home. Like in some pretty woods or something. And then, if you want to get a wish from the dragon you gotta make a trade." Haru grinned and placed his hands on his hips. "I learned that from my books of Fairy Tales," he said proudly.

Reiki nodded and closed the lid before placing it on his bed. "You have to trade something?"

"Yeah. But…I don't know what. I tried to trade a fish when me and mom went dragon hunting, but I guess he didn't want it." Haru tapped a finger to his chin, thinking. "What do dragon's like?"

"Gold. Food. Princesses." Reiki names off a few on his fingers, just as invested into the question as Haru. "Hang on. I have an idea."

Without another word, Reiki grabbed Haru's hand and led him out of the room into the hallway. He stopped at one of the closets and pulled out a stepping stool to place in the closet's center. "What are you doing?" Haru asked.

"Getting something a dragon wants."

Haru watched with wide eyes as Reiki climbed up onto the stool and grabbed a cord hanging from the ceiling. Reiki glanced over his shoulder as he held the cord with both hands high above his head. "You should stand back."

Haru nodded and took two large steps back until his back was pressed against the shelves. Reiki nodded, and then, without warning, jumped off the stool and jerked the cord with him. Suddenly, a trap door on the ceiling popped open and a thin ladder slid out on a track before banging loudly into the floor. Both boys froze and stared at each other with wide eyes, holding their breath.

"What was that?!" Erza called.

"Nothing!" they yelled, and Haru and Reiki snickered as they looked back at each other.

"That was loud," Haru whispered.

"It's not when my dad does it," Reiki whispered back, rounding the ladder to stand at the bottom with Haru.

"What is it?" Haru asked.

"The attic. Dad always pulls the ladder down so me and Emma can play up there."

Haru pursed his lips and looked up at Reiki as he climbed the ladder. "You're friends with a girl?"

Reiki paused to look over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing into a glare. "Yeah. Problem?"

Haru shrugged. "Nope. Just wonderin'."

Haru had never seen a real attic before, the apartment he'd lived in with his parents didn't have one, but he'd seen them in movies and picture books. They were always supposed to be scary places, covered with cobwebs where gremlins lived. Reiki's attic wasn't like that at all. It was just as clean as the rest of the house, with colorful rugs placed around the large room and even a couch next to the small window in the back.

Mostly it was filled with boxes but they were all carefully stacked along the walls. Some were labeled for things like 'Christmas decorations' or 'extra blankets' but it was the large trunks in the corner that Reiki went to. There had to be at least ten of them scattered around the corner and Haru could have easily lied down in them and not touched any of the sides they were so big. Reiki pulled one away from the wall and unhooked the latch to shove the lid open. Haru's eyes widened when he saw the amazing costumes inside.

There were all kinds! Big, bulky armor for knights, all completely different and just as cool as the last. Poufy dresses that looked like the ones from the fairy tales Haru's mom read to him. There were even animal costumes! Though those weren't as detailed or cool as the armor in Haru's opinion.

"Woah!" he cried, and dashed over to Reiki's side. "This is so cool! What is all this for?" he asked as he carefully touched the breast plate to a very detailed and pretty suit of armor that reminded Haru of an angel.

Reiki smiled. "It's my mom's. She used to do a lot of acting when she was in college, but she had to quit cause she gets stage fright really bad. Dad said she almost threw up on him once. They were in the same drama class and dad was really good at acting but mom was the best at making costumes."

Reiki beamed as he said it and Haru couldn't help but silently agree. "Your mom _made these?_ " he asked in awe. That had to be the coolest thing ever!

"Yes. And she kept them all. Emma likes to play dress up a lot, and since there are costumes in here for guys I like to play too."

Haru nodded thoughtfully. Made sense. _He_ certainly wanted to dress up in some of the knight costumes. "Do you have a dragon costume?"

Reiki shrugged. "I don't know. Most of the animal costumes are in that trunk in the corner."

Haru nodded and looked back at the pretty breast plate. "Okay. So, what was your idea?"

Reiki grinned, actually grinned, and pulled out the pinkest, poofiest, _sparkliest_ princess dress in the trunk. "Well, dragons like princesses, right? So I figured we could dress up like one and lure him out of hiding." He shrugged, "It worked with my gerbil when he got loose in the kitchen. Only we used peanuts instead of a princess dress."

Haru whooped and practically tackled Reiki to the ground as he hugged the boy as tightly as he could. "Reiki! You're a genius!"

Reiki chuckled. "I know."

Haru couldn't keep still as he thought all about the plan. It could really work! Every dragon probably had food and even gold already, but a _princess?_ The dragon would definitely want to trade for a wish then.

 _And then I'll have my family back_ , Haru thought.

"I could probably get Emma to help too," Reiki said. "If you want."

Haru nodded but he suddenly didn't feel like smiling. His hands twisted into his shirt, pulling the fabric tight just like the knots in his stomach. He tried not to think of his dad too much, and since they'd moved to their new home Haru had been too excited to think much about his dad at all. But hearing Reiki talk about his dad, how they'd made a really cool plane to show at the fair, how his dad would always pull down the ladder for Reiki and his friend to play in the attic cause he was probably really tall like Haru's dad had been, and now Haru could maybe _really_ find that dragon to get his wish. He could get his dad back. And it was a lot for him to think about and Haru kinda wanted to go find his mom so she could hold him and rub his back while she sang songs until he felt a little better.

"Hey, Haru?" Reiki touched his shoulder looking worried. "Are you okay? You looked sad."

"I-I…I just…" Haru bit his lip and tugged at his shirt harder. "I was just thinking that if we make a deal with the dragon he might want something to keep for good, you know? A-and he can't take us cause we aren't real princesses."

Reiki hummed as he thought about that, but he kept his hand on Haru's shoulder and Haru felt a tiny bit better. "Then what can we give him?"

Haru shrugged. "…Maybe he's lonely." Haru gasped because as soon as he said it he knew it had to be true. The dragon was probably all alone and didn't have a family, so _of course_ he'd be lonely. "That's it!" Haru shouted, and jumped to his feet.

"What's it?"

Haru walked over to the other trunk Reiki had said the animal costumes were in. "He's lonely and wants a friend. And since we don't have a real princess to trade with him, we can give him a friend to take home." His voice became muffled as he leaned over to rifle through the trunk looking for a dragon costume. "We can give him the dragon costume and promise to be his friends too, and then he won't be lonely- Aaha!"

Haru grinned as he pulled out a dragon's costume from the back. It was larger than most of the other ones, being about the size of the couch from head to tail, and was made of a weird plastic-like material that felt kind of like leather but smelled much worse. Haru flopped back to sit down and pulled the costume half way into his lap.

"We should wash him before we give him to the dragon," he mumbled, starting to feel a little sad again. "He smells weird."

"Haru?"

He sniffed and rubbed at his itchy eyes. "This time I'll find that dragon. I will. And then he'll give me my wish and I can have my dad back. It'll work."

"Your dad?" Reiki's voice was soft, like Haru's, but he could hear the other boy's confusion and concern just as easily.

Haru nodded. "He died. Mom says he's with my grandparents, and that he's watching over me from the stars. She says he still loves me even if he can't say it anymore." He paused to rub at his eyes, not wanting to cry in front of Reiki even though he knew his friend wouldn't laugh at him. Reiki was nice like that. "B-but, if he's in the stars then I can wish for him to come back, and for my family to be together. Then everything will go back to normal."

Reiki didn't say anything for a minute, and Haru didn't turn around to look, too focused on the dragon head in his lap. It sort of reminded him of Lector with all the bumps and ridges over his nose. Then Reiki was walking over to sit at his side, placing a hand on his shoulder again. "I'll help you find this dragon, Haru. I'll get you your wish."

Haru's head snapped up and he looked at his friend with wide eyes. "You will?"

Reiki nodded, his face completely serious. "Yeah. Everyone needs their dad, and if yours is stuck in the stars then I'll help you get him back." He smiled and held out his hand, pinky raised. "I pinky promise."

Haru blinked for a moment before grinning and wrapping his own pinky around Reiki's. "Thanks, Reiki. You're a great best friend."

Reiki's eyes widened. "I'm your best friend?"

Haru felt his ears start to burn and tugged at his shirt again, though not quite as hard as before. "Y-yeah. I mean, if you want to."

Reiki nodded quickly. "Okay. I've never had a best friend before."

Haru snickered, "Then we gotta make it official." Before Reiki could say anything, Haru spit into his palm and held his hand out to Reiki.

The boy cringed and leaned away. "Why'd you do that?"

Haru paused and frowned at his hand. "I don't know. I've seen my uncle and his best friend do it before when things are serious. I think it's, like, a secret hand shake for best friends only." He paused to consider it before nodding once. "Yeah. We need to shake hands. And spit in them."

Reiki's nose was still wrinkled as his spit into his own hand and then, with a deep breath that Haru thought was a little funny, took his hand and they shook up and down twice. Reiki practically jerked his hand away when they were done, wiping the spit on his pants.

"Okay. So that means we're best friends now, right?"

"Yep."

Reiki smiled. "Good. Then you can ask my mom if we can borrow her dragon's costume."


	8. Chapter 8: A New Pet

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

Chapter 8: A New Pet

Lucy woke Wednesday morning bright and early to get ready for her morning shift at Sabretooth only to receive a call from Sting telling her not to come in. "What's wrong? Is it Yukino? Oh my gosh, is the baby coming?!" Lucy pulled at her hair as she raced from the kitchen down the hall, nearly tripping over a box of family photos in her mad dash to wake Haru up.

" _What? No! You just don't need to come in today. Restaurant's closed is all…"_

Lucy halted at the bottom of the stairs and narrowed her eyes. Sting might have been able to tell when she pulled a dad stunt, but she had always been able to tell when he was lying. Lucy had lost count of all the bets she'd won against her brother simply by knowing his tell. It wasn't particularly _easy_ to recognize, per se, just a little inflexion in his voice as he spoke that most wouldn't even notice if they hadn't grown up hearing Sting talk every day, all day for twenty three years.

"Closed," she said, not even bothering to hide her disbelief.

" _Yep. Special holiday thing for the founding lady and all…or something. I dunno, but you don't need to come in."_

Lucy drummed her nails against the banister. "Uh-huh. Well then, how about we all get together and have breakfast? I'm sure Haru would _love_ to spend time with his favorite aunt and uncle." She was toying with him and she knew he knew it, but that just made it all the more fun.

"… _You know, I think I'll have to pass. Yuki wants me to work some more on the spare bedroom. Gonna be a pain in my ass but it's gotta get done sometime right?"_

Lucy hummed and examined her nails. "You know, little brother, you've been awfully generous about not making me work all the time. I would've thought you'd be jumping at the chance to get some payback for all those times I locked you out of the house. Or the time I burned all your socks. Or when I put gum in your hair in the middle of the night."

He was silent for a moment and Lucy could practically hear him grinding his teeth. _"Well, that's just cause I'm so great! You're lucky you have such an awesome brother. Sis."_

Lucy smirked. Even with his obvious irritation she could still hear that tell-tale lit just proving that she was right and he was hiding something. "Yes, it would seem I am lucky. It would also seem like you've buried the hatchet, so to speak. And now all those little pranks I pulled when we were kids that you still have revenge rights on are just… _gone_."

" _The hell they are! I still have eight revenge pranks to do!"_

"I see. So I'll come by at my usual shift then? Oh! Perhaps I'll just come by early-"

" _No! I mean…damn. I told you, you don't have to come in today. Cause of that founder-thingy."_

"Either you admit right here, right now on official record that all eight revenge pranks are gone-"

" _Not happening!"_

" _Or_ , I come in and see whatever it is you're hiding," Lucy said, continuing on as though she hadn't been so rudely interrupted. Sting said nothing for a long moment and Lucy waited, padding back to the kitchen to begin breakfast and take a sip of her coffee. She could faintly hear her brother pacing around and grumbling under his breath as he considered both options. She couldn't blame him, giving up eight _guaranteed_ revenge pranks without the threat of her own retaliation being allowed was a lot to give up. Whatever it was he was hiding must have been something big for him to seriously consider it.

After a few minutes Sting mumbled something that sounded like an answer. "What was that, Eucliffe? You'll have to speak up if you want people to hear you."

He huffed over the phone. _"I give up only six revenge pranks. On official record. That's a fair deal. Now don't come in!"_

He hung up before Lucy could say anything. She chuckled and sat her phone aside. Six revenge pranks was still a good trade, though now Lucy was just even more curious about what her brother was hiding. "Like taking candy from a baby," she murmured with a small smile.

Despite now having the day off, Lucy didn't let Haru sleep even a minute past eight. While she had no qualms about letting him sleep in a little during the summer it wasn't a habit she liked to encourage every day. So they got up, ate breakfast and Lucy spent the morning unpacking more boxes in the living room while Haru ran around the house looking for his grandma's lost treasures. Eventually they both got bored sitting around the house, and while Lucy could certainly do more work on the garden the summer heat had finally settled over the town with a vengeance, making it hard to want to work outside at least until late evening.

Too hot to properly work outside, and too boring to spend all day in the house, Lucy had decided to pack up two sandwiches and a few containers of the many casseroles she and Sting had made Sunday and take Haru to one of the parks around Hakobe Forest for a picnic. Just like they did back in Crocus when the apartment was feeling too empty, though Haru was certainly happier now than he'd been in Crocus, having excitedly chattered the whole car ride over and was now tugging her through the park.

Lucy watch as Haru bounced ahead of her across the rolling hills in the west park. Haru was determined to find the best picnic spot in the clearing, head darting back and forth as he looked over every tree lining the playground and open field. Lucy giggled into her hand as she heard Haru's mumbled 'too shady, too hot, not enough room, smells funny' with each decidedly unfit picnic spot.

"You know, Haru. Our juice won't stay cold for much longer," she hummed.

Haru let out a frantic whine as he spun in a fast circle before stopping and pointing to a large weeping willow near the back of the field. "There! That's the perfect place."

Lucy nodded and took his hand. "My thoughts exactly," she said, letting Haru drag her forward.

After Haru had picked up any twigs off the ground Lucy laid out the blanket under the willow's long branches. They hung around them like a curtain of leafy tendrils, constantly shifting and swaying in the gentle breeze. As Lucy carefully unpacked the food Haru raced back and forth under the lowest branches, throwing his arms wide to rush through them while laughing about how much they tickled.

Lucy felt a soft smile tug at her lips at seeing Haru so happy. She'd been a bit concerned Sunday night at dinner when he and Reiki came downstairs looking a little less lively than when they'd bounded upstairs, though the fact that they stayed side by side the rest of the night was certainly a plus. They'd both been fairly quiet while they ate, something that might not have been out of place with Reiki but was certainly odd for Haru. Not even Erza's announcement about Haru starting fencing next week seemed to perk him up. Lucy had tried to subtly ask what was wrong on the drive home but Haru had only said it was a secret between best friends. Whatever it was, Lucy was glad it didn't seem to drag over to the rest of the week. One thing Lucy was always grateful about Haru was how well the boy tended to bounce back from his less than good days.

Of course, having breakfast with Natsu again on Monday likely had something to do with his good mood. The man had been thrilled to see Haru's snake's skin, even showing the boy how to identify what species the snake was based on its scale pattern. Haru had been a little disappointed to learn that it wasn't from a dragon but Natsu's excitement had quickly swept away any inkling of the boy's sour mood. Lucy was still worried about the fact there was now a _slightly bigger_ six foot long snake slithering around Magnolia.

Casting a quick glance around the tree she settled back on the blanket and called Haru over, which may have been a mistake given how Haru devoured his sandwich like he hadn't eaten all day, stuffing his face with much too large bites until his chubby cheeks were bloated like a chipmunk's and Lucy was honestly afraid she'd have to perform the Heimlich on her son.

"Haru! Smaller bites!" she gasped.

He only blinked up at her, somehow managing to look like the picture of innocence while speaking around a mouthful of ham, lettuce, tomato, and cheese. "Bud moom. His how Nash-who eats-"

"Do _not_ speak with your mouth full," Lucy chided, shaking a stern finger at his nose. Haru snickered and finished chewing his sandwich before ginning up at her.

"But mom. That's how Natsu eats. He said if I wanted to be really big and tall like him I'd have to eat a lot of food. Like he does."

Lucy sighed and rubber her temples. _Of course that idiot would say something like that_ , she thought. Lucy would have to have a serious talk with the man about teaching her son poor table manners. "Haru, I think if you eat _just like_ Natsu you'll end up with a tummy ache instead of a growth spurt. Why don't we just stick to eating the correct way? Hmm?"

His shoulders slumped and a small pout pulled at his lips. "Okay…"

"Besides," Lucy went on. "You are going to be _very_ tall, Haru."

His head snapped up. "I will?"

Lucy nodded and leaned forward to cup his cheek. "Oh yes. Just like your dad." Haru's eyes widened and the pure joy that shone in his eyes had Lucy feeling like a flurry of butterflies had settled in her chest. She loved her son, her Haru, _so much_. "You are so much like your dad, Haru. In all the best ways."

Haru's grin was blinding, and without warning he lunged forward and wrapped his small arms around Lucy's neck. She scooped him up to hold him closer to her chest, rubbing soft circles against his back and humming a gentle song her mother often sang to her before bedtime. She wasn't sure how long they sat there simply holding each other under the willow but Lucy couldn't have cared if it was hours. Not when she knew how much this meant to Haru as well as herself.

The sound of leaves rustling to her left made Lucy pause. If someone was trying to interrupt them it had better be for a good reason. They both turned and blinked at a…dog? Lucy _thought_ it was a dog anyway. It (she couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl) had long, white fur that was horribly matted and stained brown from all the mud and leaves covering it nearly from head to toe. She wasn't sure what kind of dog it was. Its face was thin and lean, like a collie's, but it wasn't quite as tall, being closer to the size of a sheltie than a collie. It sat a little ways back, pink tongue lolling out the side of its mouth and occasionally licking its nose. Its muzzle was an odd orange color, making it look like a partly melted snowman, especially since its whole body was shaking like it was cold. Though Lucy had no idea how that could be possible in this heat.

"It's a dog!" Haru gasped and wiggled in Lucy's arms in an attempt to run over.

Lucy was having none of that and promptly stood up while keeping Haru pinned against her. The dog could have been a stray and very well been dangerous. Even if it wasn't aggressive, seeing Haru race towards it could make it panic and lash out like any cornered animal would. Lucy glanced around looking for an owner while keeping one eye fixed on the dog but it only laid down and huffed a heavy breath. Okay…so maybe it wasn't dangerous.

"Where's your owner?" Lucy asked.

The dog huffed again, tail thumping against the ground. "Maybe he doesn't have an owner?" Haru said. "Do you have an owner, boy?" he asked and apparently the dog was a boy.

More tail wagging and body shivering. "This is weird," Lucy murmured.

"I don't think he has an owner," Haru whispered in her ear. Lucy couldn't help but agree. Still, he seemed like a good dog. Hadn't growled or shied away, just wagged his tail and licked his lips while he sniffed the air. "He's hungry!" Haru hollered, startling Lucy enough for her to loosen her grip for him to wiggle to the ground. He had just managed to snatch his left over sandwich from the blanket when Lucy caught him by the shoulders and tugged him back a few steps. She still didn't want Haru simply racing over to this strange dog, even if he seemed perfectly well behaved.

"Wait, Haru. We can't just run up to him. He might get scared and try to bite."

Haru nodded but his lips puffed out in a pout. "But he's hungry, mom. We have to feed him."

Lucy hummed and quickly set about putting any type of food that she thought wouldn't be too upsetting for a dog's stomach on an empty plate. Haru gladly pulled out the ham from his sandwich to add to the pile before Lucy slowly and carefully walked over to the dog.

He wagged his tail and happily sniffed at plate when Lucy was a few feet away, but he didn't make any move to take it. Not until Lucy sat the plate down, took a few steps back and said, "Okay."

"Well…he's certainly well behaved," she said, standing back and watching the dog scarf down torn up chunks of ham, potato salad, and corn bread. Haru cautiously walked up next to her, hand gripping her shirt while he grinned from ear to ear at the dog.

"I like him," he said, which was all the warning Lucy got to the impending bond her son and that strange stray dog would develop in just a few short hours. Honestly, Lucy wasn't sure quite how it happened. Slowly, she and Haru went back to eating their food, occasionally tossing scraps to the dog as he shuffled closer on his stomach and let out soft wines that had Lucy nearly heartbroken at the sound. The next thing she knew the dog was lying with his head in her lap, tail wagging lazily while Haru picked the many leaves, burrs and chunks of dried mud off his fur after Haru had tossed stick after stick until the dog simply refused to run anymore and flopped down next to Lucy's side. Somehow, that dog had settled himself right in her and Haru's laps (quite literally in Lucy's case) and neither one could really be bothered by it. Least of all Haru.

"I got it!" he gasped suddenly, leaning forward to wrap his arms around the dog's neck. "His name is Plue."

Lucy giggled and reached out to run her fingers through Haru and the dog's hair. "That sounds perfect."

Haru snickered when Plue turned his head and licked his cheek. He beamed up at Lucy, dark eyes shining with so much happiness and love and excitement Lucy felt herself tear up a bit. It had been a long time since she had seen Haru so truly happy. Not since before…

"Can we keep him, mom? Can we? _Please_."

Lucy paused, tapping a finger to her chin in thought. "Well…"

Haru sat upright, Plue following his lead with a huff so Haru could keep his arms around his neck. It really was cute, even if Plue was still very dirty. "Please, mom. Plue's nice and he's really soft and fun! He can sleep with me in my room and I'll give him baths and feed him and we can play in the garden when you've cleaned it up. It'll be fun!"

Plue wagged his tail as though in agreement. Lucy had to admit, having a dog around might not be the worst thing ever. Haru had always wanted a pet, but their apartment in Crocus didn't allow any kinds of animals in the lofts. And Lucy could admit that she'd always wanted another dog in the family. The large mountain dog her family had when she and Sting were both very young was one of the best pets she'd ever had. He'd been a brilliant dog and had sat by Lucy and Sting's bed all day when they had chicken pox's he was so devoted to them both. There was just something about being a little kid and having a good dog at your side that made everything seem a little better. That's what her grandpa had said anyway.

But was now really the best time to _get_ a dog? Lucy didn't even have everything unpacked at her house, let alone have enough room for everything a dog would need. Which, okay, wasn't admittedly much, but getting a pet was usually something that people thought over very carefully before making a decision and then _choosing_ which dog was best for their family from a whole kennel of them. Not something they decided after a few good hours with a stray that happened by while they were in the park!

Lucy looked down at her son and the dog sitting next to him, both looking completely content pressed up against each other, and she knew that even if she had thought it over and went to a kennel Lucy and Haru would have wanted Plue. He just fit in with their odd little family, with his orange nose and constant shivering.

Giving the biggest grin Lucy had ever made, she reached out to cup Plue's muzzle while running her fingers through Haru's bangs. "Well, first thing's first, we need to get some dog food. And then," She added when Haru leapt to his feet whooping as he literally jumped for joy. "We have to give him a bath," she said, eyeing Plue's mangy coat. "Maybe two."

They ended up getting _way_ more than dog food at the local pet store. Lucy was very thankful to have a truck instead of a car with the amount of items they'd bought. Along with a plush dog bed, that Haru had insisted he try out, they'd stocked up on shampoo, conditioner, brushes, clippers, and plenty of treats and toys to last for at least the next two months.

Before bringing Plue inside, Lucy and Haru sat on the front porch gently combing as much debris from his coat as they could. Lucy did her best to trim the overgrown fur but she knew she'd have to make an appointment with the groomers soon. Whatever breed of dog Plue was it seemed he was a long haired breed. Still, Plue wagged his tail and seemed more than pleased for loss of excess weight as he followed Lucy inside the little cottage.

For all of Plue's good behavior and excellent listening skills, giving him a bath was, without a doubt, one of the most challenging things Lucy had ever had to do. When Lucy had led him into the bathroom upstairs, the tub already running with warm water, the dog sat at the end of the tub and made absolutely no effort to help Lucy get him in. Despite his medium size, Plue was quite heavy and wiggled constantly when Lucy tried to reach under his stomach to pick him up. After the dog let out a soft whine of discomfort Lucy knew she'd have to think of another way to get him into the tub. So, she and Haru had been forced to build a stepping stool of sorts out of boxes and some of the larger books Lucy had lying around her bedroom for Plue to walk into the tub on his own.

After that was situated, Plue hardly stayed still long enough for Lucy to lather, rinse and repeat, too busy squirming around the tub trying to follow Haru as he raced around the room trying to help. Haru's excited cries of having a 'bubble party' as he dumped half a bottle of bubble bath mix into the tub didn't help either.

Lucy was sure she was more soaked than the dog at this point. Thick foam bubbles clung to her hair from where Haru had tried to make a bubble hat on her head and she had stopped trying to block the sprays of water every time Plue shook out his coat. It took over an hour to get every piece of mud out of his coat but Plue certainly looked much better as he climbed out of the tub to stand dripping in the middle of the bathroom floor. Lucy barely had time to raise the towel in front of her before Plue was shaking and throwing water all over the room. Haru laughed as he ducked behind her. Lucy sighed. At least one of them wouldn't be a complete mess, though, with the state of the bathroom Lucy would hardly call that a success.

"So much for not having to clean upstairs," she mumbled.

Haru skirted around her with his own fluffy towel to begin drying off Plue's back. "Almost done, Plue," he said, grinning. "Then I'll show you my room and the whole house."

Lucy smiled as she settled on her knees to rub her towel over Plue's legs and stomach. The dogs tail lazily thumped against the floor while Haru continued to babble about everything he needed to show Plue and that's when Lucy felt it. She paused and carefully ran her hand over Plue's belly again and now she knew she felt something. A small bulge, no bigger than Haru's fist, hung just past his ribcage. It wasn't hard when Lucy cautiously felt it, more squishy if anything, but it did seem tender as Plue gave a soft whine whenever Lucy touched it.

"Uh oh," Lucy murmured. As a mother Lucy had read as many books on raising children as she could get her hands on when she was pregnant with Haru. She also read books about what to expect from her own body after she gave birth, which included learning about hernias. Given the general location of the lump and how Plue didn't seem too keen for Lucy to touch it, she figured that was exactly what it was.

Haru blinked and looked up at her with his towel tossed over Plue's head. "Mom?"

Lucy sighed, hoping more than anything that if she was right it wasn't anything too serious. Lucy wasn't sure how big a hernia had to be before it became deadly but she knew it could be life threatening under the right circumstances. For a dog that had been a stray for who knows how long seemed like some good circumstances too.

 _And just when things were going so well_ , she thought.

Haru tilted his head to the side, a slight frown pulling at his lips. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Haru, sweetie. I think Plue needs to go to the vet."

"Is he sick?"

"I don't know. But that's why we'll take him to the vet. So he can get a checkup and we can know if he needs any medicine." Haru paused before giving a small nod. Lucy reached out to rub his back, giving the brightest grin she could manage. "Once Plue's dry you can show him your room while I call the vet, okay?"

Another small nod. "Okay."

Lucy made sure to schedule the appointment as early on next morning as she could.

* * *

Weekends were always the busiest days for Natsu. People tended to have extra time to catch up on all the chores they'd neglected throughout the week, and that included looking after their pets. That meant extra surgeries, extra house calls and extra paper work. Sometimes the workload would stretch over to Monday too, but other than that his weekdays were fairly easy. Well, as easy as his job would ever allow.

This time, though, that wasn't the case and he had spent all of Tuesday and Wednesday swamped dealing with one case, and now _that_ work was dragging over into Thursday too. Thank Mavis for Lisanna and the rest of his staff. Natsu wasn't sure how the rest of his appointments and surgeries would've even gotten done with how intense this case was. He'd been so busy the past few days Natsu didn't even have time to swing by Sabretooth's for breakfast. Normally he wouldn't be too upset over missing a few free meals but it was the company he missed the most. Namely Lucy and Haru. They were both so much fun to be around and easy to talk to he'd kinda been looking forward to their little breakfast get-togethers lately.

Lucy had a certain spark to her that made teasing her so much fun, if only because she would tease right back with a fire Natsu hardly saw in most of Magnolia. He even liked her no nonsense attitude and how she would quickly put a stop to any antics he or Haru were about to do. Though he barely knew her, he'd seen enough to know she was the type of person who let every little feeling and thought flit over her expressions. It was a rare quality now-a-days and Natsu liked how open and honest she was about things. And Haru was downright _hilarious_. Natsu could listen to his wild stories all day and never get bored. Kid kinda reminded Natsu of himself when he was his age, all bouncing energy that hardly stayed still even when he was concentrating on something really hard.

 _Well, maybe not only when I was Haru's age_ , he thought, glancing down at his bouncing foot under the table.

"Yo. Ash head. You paying attention or not?"

Natsu frowned and glared across his desk at Gray. The man only raised an eyebrow, his usual cocky smirk dulled down to a slight frown with the seriousness of their conversation. Being the town's main attorney meant Gray often worked alongside Natsu whenever cases against animal rights were involved. It wasn't the happiest way to work with your best friend, and, unfortunately, the past two days had them working on one of the worst cases of abuse Natsu had ever seen.

An elderly couple out of the town's limits had called in about their neighbors animals. Apparently there was one dead horse in the backyard and the remaining two in the paddock weren't looking much better. It was worse than Natsu had been told since there was another dead horse in the barn and six more live horses stuffed in the tiny stalls. All in horrible stages of malnutrition and looking moments away from collapsing in their own filth where they'd been forced to stay for what looked like weeks.

He'd later been told the owner had left her horses there with no food or water for _five weeks_ to run off with her new boyfriend when she'd found out her husband was cheating on her. Given the way she'd brushed off the horse's condition, Natsu couldn't blame him. As far as he was concerned she could rot in a cell for what she'd done. Five weeks of starvation was a slow and tortured death for those poor horses. One that _could_ have been avoided. But if anyone could make sure she got a punishment that was deserved it was Gray Fullbuster. The man had taken after his father very well in both the court room and in his looks, making him quite well known around Magnolia and even some other nearby towns. He'd even had the opportunity to work at a big law firm alongside his brother in Hargeon but he'd turned it down in favor of staying in Magnolia.

Natsu was plenty thankful his friend had chosen to stay when dealing with cases like these (though he'd never admit it). It had turned into an immediate removal situation, with only five of the eight live horses able to be shipped off with the volunteers to foster homes. The other three were too far gone and had to be put down on the site. It'd been hell but at least Natsu was able to focus on the animals while Gray took care of all the legal crap. If he'd had to even _look_ at the damn owner Natsu was sure he would've cracked her jaw. Woman or no.

Honestly, if there was ever a time Natsu wanted to listen to Haru talk about fairies and dragons and watch Lucy fuss over him it was now. They were just so warm and… _nice_.

"'M listenin'," he muttered as he slouched back in his chair.

Gray rolled his dark blue eyes and tugged at his collar, popping open the top button with a sigh of relief. With Natsu's office located in the back of the building right next to the boiler and back-up generator it was always at least ten degrees hotter than the rest of the building. Not that Natsu minded. He'd rather sit in a hot office a few hours throughout the day than make any of the animals deal with the heat. That, and Natsu thought it was _hilarious_ that Gray couldn't stand it for even a few minutes.

 _Serves him right for growing up in a freezer, little ice cream lovin' jerk._

"Yeah? Then you won't mind if we finish your report in _my_ office," Gray said, picking at his second button.

Natsu frowned. "What? No! I can't _leave_ , snow cone. I still have surgeries to do and shit!" He glanced at his watch and cursed. His next appointment wasn't due for another thirty minutes but Natsu still had stuff to do. "I can't be bothered with all this paper work anyway." Natsu smirked and poked his pencil against Gray's chest. "That's _your_ job, Ice Queen."

Gray glared back at him through his dark bangs and Natsu was starting to wonder why they were even friends. Again. "It's yours too, idiot. 'Sides, your report is what makes these cases. Being the "doctor" and all."

Natsu ignored the air quotes around the doctor part, shoving his chair back and draping his stethoscope around his shoulders. The cold metal still felt weird against his bare neck, but he couldn't exactly wear his scarf around the hospital. Too many chances for it to get ripped or bitten or covered in something gross. There was a reason most of his scrubs were dark red or black.

As Lisanna always said, _"It's not a good day if you're not covered in crap and blood when you fall into bed."_

"Look, I'll get the reports to you when I'm on lunch. I've been too busy helping these horses to even write about it!"

Gray scribbled that on his notepad. "So their conditions are that bad, huh?"

"Yes," Natsu snapped. It was shit like this that really pissed him off. Who the hell just leaves _eight horses_ without food or water for _five weeks?_ Natsu knew for a fact there were plenty of people who would've watched them free of charge. His little sister in particular would have loved to horse-sit had she been asked.

Natsu sighed and stomped out of his office. "Sorry Gray. I gotta get to my appointments. We'll finish this on lunch."

Gray hummed as he walked into the hallway after Natsu. "Yeah fine. Just don't be late. Gramps won't give us the lunch discount if it's after two."

Natsu paused and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Well…I was thinkin' we could eat at Sabretooth, actually," he mumbled.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "Why? Place has been busier than Hell on Halloween. Ever since Sting got that new waitress everyone's been trying to meet her. The Trimens have been going there every day from what I've heard."

Natsu frowned and felt his eyebrow twitch. He'd heard about Hibiki, Ren and Eve frequenting the bar and grill a lot lately. The three were well known around town for their habit of hitting on every lady around, even when it wasn't wanted. Honestly, he wasn't surprised the three were looking for Lucy, he could admit she was pretty. He just hoped Sting's overprotective nature was enough to get them to back off. Natsu smirked. If not Sting then Lector should do the trick.

He hadn't realized Gray was looking at him until he glanced over to see him cock an eyebrow with a knowing smirk that Natsu _really_ wanted to punch right off. "Oh. I see what's going on."

Natsu glared at him and forced his hands to unclench from his sides. Yeah, he was _really_ startin' to wonder why they were friends at all. Smug bastard. "Ain't nothin' goin' on. Ya know Sting gives me that deal."

Gray only hummed, his smirk widening to a smug grin. "Sure. And the fact you've been having breakfast with this new lady ain't got nothing to do with it."

"Who told you that?"

Gray shrugged. "Juvia mentioned she saw you eating with a blond and some kid. She said she didn't recognize her so I figured it was this new girl."

Natsu cursed under his breath. He remembered seeing Juvia stop by Sabretooth to pick up breakfast once or twice but he hadn't thought much of it. He should've known that she would blab to Gray as soon as she saw him. Ever since she started hanging out with Lisanna and her older sister Mirajane, Juvia had started to hop aboard the gossip train more and more. Gray hated it and now Natsu could see why. When Gray wasn't in the court room he was a quiet guy who didn't like too much drama. Which begged the question why he was best friends with Natsu and officially/unofficially "not dating" Juvia, both of which were pretty known for their dramatic flair throughout town.

Natsu sighed and rubbed a hand down his face. "It's not like that," he said when Gray raised an eyebrow. "Lucy and I are…friends? I dunno…we just like to talk, nothing major."

Gray nodded. "And the kid?"

Natsu couldn't have stopped his grin if he tried. "That's Haru, Lucy's boy. Really good kid and super fun too. Ya know he's actually hell bent and determined to find some dragon livin' around here? Guess he wants a wish or somethin'." Natsu nudged his friend's shoulder, grinning. "Brings back old memories huh, Ice Queen?"

Gray rolled his eyes and shoved Natsu's shoulder before walking over to the door. "I'll see ya at Sabretooth. Don't be late, Flame Head!"

Natsu bit back the urge to flip him off. While he was known for his quick temper, the last time he'd done that to Gajeel in the waiting room Lisanna had thrown her shoe at him as well as assigned him to clean up the kennels for his "rude behavior", something she always managed to do despite _him_ being the boss. He glanced around the waiting room at the few people sitting around filling out their forms with their pets at their feet. If he remembered his schedule right, he had five morning appointments all before noon, plus anyone who dropped in and the surgeries he had set up between appointments.

He'd already done two neuters and had another surgery set to remove a benign tumor off a cat's shoulder at around ten thirty. Not bad for a Thursday but it was when he'd have to leave the office for his farm visits in the afternoon that things would get really busy. Nothin' like vaccinating over a hundred steers that were two pats shy from feral to get the blood pumpin'. At least he'd be able to get his reports done in between his appointments if things went well. Lisanna could handle any check-ups and extra surgeries, plus he had enough staff members to help if things suddenly got _really_ busy.

Walking to the check-in counter, he shuffled through a few papers that needed signing while reaching out to scratch Happy's ears while the kitten slept in the wicker basket Natsu had placed on the counter for him. He purred while rolling over to let Natsu rub his belly. Natsu smirked. "Life's treatin' you good, eh little buddy?"

Happy peeked open one dark eye before rolling back onto his stomach, needing his claws in the blanket while he stretched his whole body out in one long line. Natsu chuckled and let Happy bite at his fingers when Lisanna walked in from the hallway holding a clipboard tucked under her arm.

"Natsu!" she cried, making him jump nearly a foot in the air. "There you are. Are you and Gray done yet?"

Natsu raised an eyebrow at her and slowly nodded. "Everything okay?" he asked. He didn't think they looked very busy and his next surgery could wait a little longer if needed.

Lisanna held the clip board out to him. "Your next appointment is here and in room three." She clasped her hands together in front of her kitten covered pink smocks and cooed, "Such a cute little boy."

Glancing at his watch Natsu frowned. It was only ten past nine. "They're here already? It's not even nine-thirty." He'd been hoping to catch up on his usual paper work, maybe grab a cup of coffee first. Mavis knew he needed it.

Lisanna shrugged, her short, white hair brushing her shoulders while pulling a few papers from one of the filing cabinets behind the counter. "The lady said she wanted to come by early in case things weren't busy. I guess she and her son are a little worried about their dog. The poor thing."

Natsu hummed and glanced down at the clipboard. "Dog's got a hernia?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a chance to check. That's what the lady thinks it is anyway." She was still rushing through the cabinets, pulling out files and papers like it was a race.

"You okay?" Natsu asked.

"Mrs. Spetto called," was all she said.

Natsu cringed. Knowing her, the old woman would come in politely fussing over the _smallest scratch_ on _one_ of her cats and wouldn't leave until either Natsu or Lisanna gave _every animal_ a full once over. Natsu wasn't sure how she did it, but Mrs. Spetto managed to be so polite and genuinely concerned about what was basically nothing to worry about that no one even bothered trying to turn her away anymore. It was to the point now that they had copies of all her cats' information on file so she didn't even have to fill out forms anymore. They still tried to politely rush through her spontaneous drop-ins as fast as possible though.

He was about to turn to the next page on the clipboard when his gaze caught on the owner's name. Natsu grinned so wide his cheeks actually started to hurt. "You can handle Mrs. Spetto right Lis?" he asked, already speed walking towards the exam rooms. "I'll just get this first appointment outta the way and then jump right into that mornin' surgery."

He ignored Lisanna's protests about how it was his turn to deal with the old woman, but as Natsu figured, there were always perks to being the head honcho. Besides, he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't even a _little_ excited to see the family in room three.

Natsu was still grinning when he opened the door to the exam room and saw the two people he'd been thinking about not even ten minutes ago. Lucy stood leaning against the exam table watching Haru closely while the boy pressed his plastic stethoscope against a white and _very_ fluffy dog's chest.

"Hear anything?" Lucy asked, smiling when Haru gave a firm nod.

"Yes. His heart is very strong."

Natsu's grin widened as he stepped into the room. "Hey Luce. Hey little man," he said, grinning down at the small boy and raising an eyebrow. "Decided to be a vet now, huh?" he asked.

"N-Natsu…" Lucy said, sounding completely confused the same moment Haru leapt up and dashed to Natsu's side.

"Natsu!" he cried, grabbing his hand and tugging Natsu over to the white dog. "Look! Me and mom got a new pet! His name is Plue and he's the best!" Haru motioned for Natsu to crouch down and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "We got him a soft bed that's in my room. But I let him sleep on my bed last night."

Natsu snickered and whispered back, "Yeah? Bet you had to hide him under the covers from your mom, huh?"

Haru nodded. "Yeah. She didn't even know he was there this morning."

Natsu glanced up at Lucy who look caught between being amused and still completely confused. He turned back to Haru and dropped down to one knee to pat the dog's head and scratch under its chin. "Nice to meet you Plue," he said, noticing Haru's glee at him properly meeting the dog. Just one of his many gifts that came with his job. He always introduced himself to an animal properly, in a child's opinion that is. "Oh, you're a sweet one, aren't you? How're you feelin' today?"

"Natsu…what are you doing here?" Lucy finally asked.

He looked up at her then and raised an eyebrow. Her eyebrows were pulled together in confusion and her bottom lip puffed out slightly in what was almost a pout. "Was told someone wasn't feelin' good today," he said simply, enjoying how Lucy's mouth fell open like a drowning fish as she blinked several times very fast. She suddenly seemed to notice his red smocks and the veterinarian symbol stitched over his heart as she slowly looked him up and down.

"Y-you're….you're the _vet?_ " she stammered.

Natsu nodded as he turned back to Plue, a faint smirk pulling at his lips that he tried to hide. But in his defense, it was honestly very funny. How she had managed not to know he was the town's vet was beyond him. Small towns weren't very quiet and surely Sting would've mentioned it when blabbing on and on about Lector. Hell, he had the logo stamped to the sides of his truck! Though, he supposed it was a little dirty…

"Sure am. Me and Lisanna are the only ones in, I think it's twenty miles? I dunno, but it's just us in Magnolia. Though, I'm the owner of this fine establishment."

"Why didn't you say anything?" she demanded.

Natsu shrugged. "You never asked. Figured ya already knew." He flashed her a smug smirk then. "Not too hard to figure out in a town this small." Her eyes narrowed and a bright flush spread over her cheeks that Natsu had a hard time not staring at. He could silently admit he liked to annoy her mostly because of that red blush. It really was fun.

Lucy huffed and crossed her arms over her chest, pointedly looking away. "You should have said something anyway," she huffed, making Natsu snicker.

Haru tugged on his sleeve and Natsu turned back to the boy. He was bouncing on his toes despite the very serious look on his face. "Natsu. Mom says she thinks Plue has a hern…um…" He paused to look up at Lucy when he couldn't remember the word.

"Hernia," she said, still looking caught between being embarrassed and out right annoyed.

Haru nodded. "Right. That." He looked back at Natsu, "You're the vet so you can make Plue feel better right?"

Natsu grinned and nodded. "I'll do my best kiddo."

He was already prodding Plue's belly, feeling around for the telltale lump of a hernia. His hand brushed over a lump, but it didn't feel like a hernia to Natsu. Frowning, he pulled out his stethoscope to place first against the side of Plue's belly and then to the other, then examined one of Plue's nipples. Humming to himself, Natsu slipped on a rubber glove with an exaggerated snap that made Haru snicker and did a quick internal.

Plue didn't even bat an eye at him, too focused on Haru as he ran his fingers through the dog's fur and whispered how good of a dog they were. Honestly, Natsu was a bit impressed with how attuned Plue was to Haru's whereabouts. The dog constantly had an eye on him, and between Plue and Lucy, Haru was clearly being well looked after. And the boy seemed just as attached to Plue, barely leaving their side and he constantly had a hand running through the dog's fur.

Natsu looked at Haru and grinned. "You're sure doin' a good job keeping Plue calm. We make a good team, eh kiddo?"

Haru grinned and nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! We're like partners?" he asked, sounding a little unsure if that was okay.

Natsu nodded and gave Haru a bright grin. "You bet we are!"

Haru seemed perfectly satisfied with that answer and Natsu caught Lucy give a small smile as well. He gave her a quick wink, enjoying how her eyes widened slightly and the blush returned to her cheeks, before he turned back to Plue. When he was done, Natsu stood and tossed his glove in the bin by the door.

Okay…so it wasn't a hernia and Natsu had a _pretty good_ idea what it was too. "Mind if I take a blood sample and run some tests?" he asked, already grabbing a syringe from one of the cabinets.

"Sure," Lucy said.

"I'll help too," Haru added.

"Yeah? Well then why don't you put those dog whisperin' skills to work and keep Plue still for me."

Haru giggled and cupped Plue's muzzle in his small hands while softly telling the dog a story about dragons. Natsu took the blood sample as quick as possible, rubbing over Plue's leg when he was done before giving Haru a thumbs up.

"Alright," he said, standing. "I'll run this through the labs now. Shouldn't take too long. Then I'll know for sure."

"Know what for sure?" Haru asked.

Natsu looked down at him and winked. "Surprise," he said.

Haru whined but Lucy placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Is this anything to worry about?" she asked softly, worry evident in the crease of her brow.

Natsu grinned and shook his head as he walked backwards to the door. "Nah. Actually, I think ya'll will like this surprise."

Natsu ran through the blood tests as quick as the machine would let him. While he waited he glanced over the forms Lucy had filled out beforehand, taking particular interest in the dog's marked gender. He snickered under his breath when the results came back and shook his head in amusement. "Weirdo," he mumbled.

When he stepped back into the exam room, Haru was once again kneeling in front of Plue with his plastic stethoscope shoved into the thick fur on the dog's neck. "Ya know, kiddo, I don't think you'll have much luck using that little ol' thing to hear Plue's heart," Natsu said.

Haru blinked up at him and frowned in confusion. "But this is the only stealthoscope I got."

" _Steth_ oscope, Haru," Lucy corrected.

Natsu grinned and pulled his own stethoscope from his shoulders to drape over Haru's. "Here. Try using this one."

Haru's grin was damn near blinding as he hurriedly stuffed the ear pieces in his ears and cried, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," over and over.

"Just for a moment Haru," Lucy added. "Then you'll have to give it back to _Mr. Dragneel_."

She looked at Natsu and gave a smirk that made Natsu roll his eyes but he still smiled. So they were back to that now, huh? Too bad he'd have the last laugh with his great surprise. "Well, I got good news and better news," he said, drawing the attention of Lucy and Haru as he placed his hands on his hips.

"What's the good news?" Haru asked, standing and matching his pose.

"Well, for one thing, Plue here doesn't have a hernia."

Haru whooped as he bounced up and down, Natsu's stethoscope bouncing with the movement while Lucy have a relieved sigh as she reached out to pat the dog's head. "Thank goodness," she sighed.

"Natsu! What's the better news?" Haru asked, tugging on the hem of his shirt to get his attention.

Natsu grinned down at Haru and ruffled the boy's hair. "Plue here, is pregnant!" he said.

And there it was. That look of absolute shock and confusion on Lucy's face. Her mouth fell open in a soundless gasp and her eyes widened as she stood there completely frozen, gaping like a fish once again. "Pre…pregnant…?" she mumbled.

"Pregnant!" Haru gasped, little hands clutching his short hair as his eyes widened in a very close replica of his mother's stunned expression, though he was smiling so wide Natsu was a little nervous he'd pull a muscle.

"Yeah. And for what I could feel I'd say you have at least six puppies comin'."

" _Six puppies,_ " Lucy mumbled.

"Six puppies!" Haru cried, bouncing around in a funny little dance that Natsu laughed at.

Natsu merely grinned at Lucy's stunned face. Man these two were fun to be around. "Yep! And from the looks of things, I'd say she's about seven weeks along."

" _S-seven weeks!_ " Lucy cried, one hand smacking her forehead.

"Seven weeks!" Haru hollered. "Seven weeks and then we're gonna have puppies!"

"No Haru," Lucy murmured, sounding like she was correcting him automatically but not really out of her shock yet. "That's how long Plue has been pre-pregnant."

Natsu nodded sagely, his arms crossed over his chest. "Yep. I'm surprised you hadn't noticed. But I guess since her hair's so long it's hard to tell. Funny thing is, you must've accidently wrote down that Plue was a boy," he said and rapped his knuckle against the clipboard. He shrugged, "Happens to the best of us."

Lucy stood ram-rod straight stuttering over her own words as she tried to process everything. Natsu waited patiently while biting his cheek to keep from smiling. Haru was the first in the room to snap back into himself as he gave a loud whoop and _very carefully_ wrapped his arms around Plue in a way that was so tender it made Natsu smile softly at him. Kid sure was somethin' special. "Plue!" he cried. "You're gonna be a mom! We're gonna have _puppies!_ "

 _That_ seemed to pull Lucy out of whatever internal crisis she was having as she looked down at her son and dog. "But…Plue's a boy…"

Natsu snorted and shook his head. So that's why she was so shocked. Natsu had thought her reaction was a _bit_ much but now it all made sense. "Not sure who told ya that, but I'd say they don't know their stuff."

Lucy turned a brilliant shade of red that made her pale skin look even lighter. It was kinda cute and certainly funny looking. She huffed and crossed her arms, doing her best to look like she wasn't freaking out but Natsu could see her eyebrow occasionally twitch, plus her cheeks were still the color of red apples. "We found him-err… _her_ in the park yesterday. Given how dirty he-uh, _she_ was it's a perfectly reasonable mistake," she snapped.

Natsu smirked. "I'm sure it is, _Miss Heartfilia_."

Lucy's blush darkened once again but this time Natsu wasn't sure if it was just from embarrassment. Maybe it wasn't best to tease her so much. She did look pretty pissed, standing completely straight, arms crossed, frown pulling her full lips down into a pout and tapping her foot as she glared at him for all he was worth. Yeah…maybe he should get on with it.

Natsu cleared his throat and wrote a few quick notes on Plue's file. "Anyways…the lump you felt was actually an infection in one of her mammary glands. Pretty common in dogs, especially since you said she was a stray. Good for you for taking her in by the way! I'll prescribe you some antibiotics which should clear it right up but I want ya to bring her back in within a week for a checkup. If it's still around by the time the pups come we may have an issue letting them nurse."

"Antibiotics?" Lucy asked.

Natsu nodded and gave a dismissive wave. "Yeah. Nothin' major. Just a little pill that you can put in a hot dog or somethin'. If she's anything like my cousin's dog she'll eat it right up." He glanced down at Haru and snickered. "'Sides. I don't think you'll have to worry much about Plue, here. She's gonna be a natural mom."

Lucy cocked her head to the side and frowned. "What makes you say that?"

"Well for starters, she's already got the patience of a saint." Natsu nodded to where Haru was currently kneeling beside Plue, placing his stethoscope in her ear before pressing the cold metal on Plue's nose. Plue simply turned her head when she decided she'd had enough. No barking, no snapping, no whining. How the hell Lucy and Haru managed to find such a good stray he'd never know. Every stray he'd ever dealt with was at least a little skittish, but Plue here acted like she'd been the family pet for years.

Lucy chuckled and placed a hand on Plue's head when the dog nuzzled her thigh. "She certainly is a good dog." Plue wagged her tail while happily licking Lucy's hand. Lucy clicked her tongue and looked back up at Natsu. "What about her shots and vaccinations?"

"We'll do those after she gives birth," Natsu said. "It's not safe for the pups now but it'll be fine when she starts nursing. For most vaccines anyway. Plue's healthy enough now that I wouldn't worry about it." Natsu grinned up at her and then Haru. "You two must have some good luck, huh?"

Haru smiled and nodded excitedly. "Yep. Uncle Sting calls mom Lucky Lucy sometimes."

Natsu nodded seriously. He could certainly understand why. Not many people could claim to have found a stray dog that was fairly healthy and so well behaved, and when it was pregnant too! That definitely required some luck. "That right?" He knelt back down to look Haru in the eye. "Ya know, I'd say it was a little bit of magic that helped ya find Plue, here," he said. Haru's eyes widened and he actually looked speechless for a minute.

"Really?" he whispered.

"Really," Natsu whispered back. Hey, they were partners after all! "And ya know, magic is somethin' that's _really_ hard to find, but you wanna know a little trick my old man told me about magic?" Haru nodded, eyes still wide and looking a little awestruck. "Sometimes, if you're thinkin' _real hard_ about the people you love, magic will come to _you_."

Haru's breath seemed to catch in his throat but instead of being excited and asking a million questions like Natsu was expecting, he just stood there twisting his shirt in his small hands. Lucy cleared her throat and pulled Natsu's attention back from Haru. "Natsu. I've still got a few questions about Plue and the puppies, if you don't mind."

Natsu frowned slightly and glanced back at Haru. The boy was still staring at him with a strange look on his face that was a mix of awe and sadness. Natsu felt something like a heavy weight settle over his chest. Whatever he'd said, it seemed to have upset Haru more than cheered him up. And Natsu felt like a real piece of crap for it, whatever it was.

"Right, right," he said, quickly standing and turning his attention back to Lucy. She gave him a small, encouraging smile that seemed to be an unspoken assurance that he hadn't overstepped any bounds, which was a relief on Natsu's part. Though, he made a mental note to try to cheer the boy up as soon as he could. Haru wasn't Haru if he wasn't smiling and laughing.

"So…the gestation period lasts nine weeks, which should be enough time for you to prepare. I'm not sure what breed Plue is, but her hips are wide enough that you won't have to worry about that. Normally there isn't much you'll need to do, but keep in mind that she'll want a cool, dark place to have her pups, so you might want to put some old blankets in your garage."

Lucy frowned and rubbed her arm bashfully. "That might be a problem. Our house doesn't have a garage. It's one of the old cottages on Strawberry Street," Lucy said.

Natsu nodded, rubbing his chin. "Well, you have a small room or maybe a large closet?"

Lucy paused to think about it and Natsu risked a glance down at Haru, smiling softly when he saw the boy was pressing his stethoscope over Plue's stomach again. Lucy suddenly snapped her fingers and nearly made Natsu jump. "There is one room that should work," she said, "but it's kinda filled with pots and potting soil at the moment. I still have to weed the backyard and clean the shed before I can move any of it."

Natsu rubbed the back of his neck and tried for a reassuring grin. "Well…I gotta friend who's in the landscaping business if ya think that'll help. I'll talk to him and he'll give you a good deal."

Lucy's gaze softened and she smiled up at him, "That's very nice of you, Natsu. Thank you."

Natsu felt his neck heat up and blamed it on the lack of cold metal hanging there. He cleared his throat and looked away, trying to focus on the file before him. "Yeah, well that's what friends do, Luce." He chuckled and waggled his eyebrows at her. "I'm just glad you seem to be off that whole 'Mr. Dragneel' kick."

She smirked and leaned forward just a tiny bit, but it was enough for Natsu to smell her perfume. Vanilla and daisy's. Not a combo Natsu would've thought was any good but Lucy somehow made it seem perfectly normal.

"Does me calling you that _really_ bother you?" she asked, playfully.

He looked at her and for some reason could only think about how much _better_ his name sounded when Lucy or even Haru said it. Weird. "Yeah," he said, feeling the corner of his mouth pull up in a lopsided grin. "It does."

After getting Lucy the antibiotics and a treat for Plue, Natsu walked them to the front door. Whatever had bothered Haru seemed to have passed as he pulled Natsu down to quickly listen to his heartbeat when Lucy told him he had to give it back. Natsu laughed the whole time, ignoring the lingering glances he could feel coming his way in favor of trying to make Haru laugh. No doubt this would just be another gossip train for people to jump on.

"Say, Luce?" he asked as he stood, draping the stethoscope over his neck. She hummed, too busy fishing her keys out of her bag to look up. "You workin' today?"

"Huh? Oh, no." She glanced up at him before quickly looking away, the tips of her ears turning red. "I asked for the day off just in case it was a hernia and you'd need to do surgery." She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need to stop calling off so much. I think I'm getting a little lazy." Natsu tossed his head back and laughed. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged and wiped at his eyes, "Just wonderin'," he said.

He waved them off, promising Haru he'd try to have breakfast with them tomorrow before heading back to prep for his next surgery. He wasn't worried about going to Sabretooth now with Gray. The guy couldn't very well try to interrogate someone who wasn't there after all, so it looked like his day that had started out so awful was turning into something pretty nice. And all because of a certain little family that Natsu thought were possibly some of the weirdest people he'd ever met.

 _But first, I'll have to wash my stethoscope,_ he thought, looking down at the earwax and fur on the cold metal.


	9. Chapter 9: A New Book

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this. Just a quick note, it has come to my attention that in the last chapter when I used the term "animal rights" I should have used the term "animal welfare". That's my bad and I do apologize for any confusion and will make sure to be more precise with terminology in the future. Thanks again to Silver Light of Dawn for catching that mistake and letting me know. I always appreciate any feedback you all give!**

 **Also, there are mentions of blood and medical procedures in this chapter. If that bothers you then read with caution. Thank you!**

Chapter 9: A New Book

Natsu pulled into Sabretooth's parking lot at exactly 8:15 in the morning. He'd made sure to get all his papers done for Gray before lunch yesterday and got a head-start on any work he'd have for this morning so he could free up his schedule. It helped that today was also Lisanna's day to open the hospital, so Natsu had a little bit of time before he had to be in at nine. He wanted to make sure he had breakfast with Haru just like he'd promised. Plus, he had a special surprise for the boy that Natsu was excited to give him.

The weather was still wonderful, if a little hot, and Natsu was already scanning the outdoor tables for those familiar heads of gold and auburn as he walked over to the front door but no such luck. Like always, Sabretooth was starting to fill up with the usual crowd. As one of the only three local joints that offered breakfast, people tended to swarm the bar and grill pretty early. It helped that Sabretooth was also the only place in town that offered steak and burgers round the clock. For meat-lovers, like Natsu, it was a dream come true. Not even Fairy Tail, Natsu's preferred place to eat, offered steak all day. Of course, being more of a sea food place, it made sense Fairy Tail didn't offer much in the way of breakfast food besides the basics. Place was packed every night though.

The only other place open this early was the Strauss Free Bakery (Natsu still laughed every time he heard the store's name. "Strauss Free", like "Stress Free". Ha…brilliant), and people could only have so many muffins before they wanted some grits. Even if Mirajane's baking was the closest thing to heaven around. And Elfman made a damn good scone.

He didn't have to wait long before one of the waitresses came over to seat him outside. Natsu asked for his usual and settled in his seat, patting his pocket to make sure his little surprise was safely tucked away. He'd opted for his large, baggy cargo pants today, needing the extra space the overly-large pockets offered compared to his usual worn jeans. He pulled Happy from his perch in his scarf and let the little kitten roam around the table. Happy stayed relatively close but Natsu kept a close eye on him anyway. Little guy had a habit of getting into things he shouldn't.

"Natsu!"

He looked up when Haru called his name, rushing out the front door with Lucy close behind carrying a tray of Natsu's order as well as her and Haru's breakfast. Natsu grinned and waved, automatically standing to take the tray from Lucy when she was closer. It was all so… _normal_ and Natsu found himself wondering, again, how he'd managed to fall into this little routine so seamlessly so quickly. He liked it though, he thought as he watched Haru pick up Happy and grin ear to ear as he settled the mewling kitten in his arms. Yeah. He liked it a lot.

Lucy was already placing plates on the table while Natsu held the tray for her, chatting easily with Haru about constellations, of all things. Haru was shooting off question after question about the stories the different stars were named after while Lucy answered every one with practiced ease. It made Natsu wonder just how much she knew about constellations and stars in general. She'd mentioned something about having a minor degree in astronomy once before, but Natsu hadn't thought much of it at the time.

"Ya sure know your stuff, Luce," he said as they all settled down at the table. Happy perched on Haru's lap where the boy gave him small bites of his eggs. Natsu smiled and rolled his eyes, knowing from experience Happy tended to become a bit sleepy on the rare occasions he managed to get eggs. Little guy was gonna be out before he got to the hospital at the rate Haru was feeding him.

Lucy smiled softly and waved a dismissive hand. "It's just the basics, but I'd hope I know at least that much after all the classes I took."

Natsu chuckled as he cut off a small part of his breakfast burger to give to Haru. Kid had started takin to eating off of Natsu's plate, reaching out to take a piece of fruit from the small bowl or an extra piece of toast, much to his mother's horror. Natsu didn't mind at all, saying he'd done the same with his own father when he was a boy. Lucy didn't seem to mind anymore but Natsu could see the way her smile would turn just a little sad whenever he slid his blueberries onto Haru's plate.

"Well, if your job was anything like mine, you used everything you learned so much it's impossible to forget now."

Lucy tipped her head back and laughed. "Oh, it is. I could probably write a whole essay about the physics and aerospace dynamics of a dying star in my sleep."

Natsu choked around his mouthful of grits. He was no genius, but he was pretty sure topics like physics and aerospace stuff were kinda intense, just to put it mildly. And here Lucy was, tossing them around like they were hardly any more difficult than talking about the weather. And yet, she didn't sound arrogant in the slightest. A feature Natsu was certain only Lucy could manage to do.

 _Geez. And I thought Levy was smart_ , Natsu thought, rubbing his chest to ease the ache after coughing so hard.

Lucy chuckled at him over the rim of her coffee cup. How she could take that stuff with only a few sugar packets added Natsu would never know. He needed at least seven and a good amount of creamer just to choke it down. "Speaking of work, what do you have planned today?" she asked, brown eyes lighting up with curiosity.

Natsu grinned. "Well, I got a few surgeries today between ten and two. Plus a good amount of standard appointments and checkups. No farm calls though, so I'll be in bed by ten tonight," he chuckled.

"What sort of surgeries?" Lucy asked.

Natsu paused to take a sip of his tea. He'd always liked tea in the morning instead of coffee. A fact he could attribute to his mom as the woman often ranted about the health risks of too much coffee. "Well," he drawled. "First on the board is what I hope is a hernia on a stray cat we named Merp. Could be a tumor but we'll just have to see when we get in there!" He smirked at Haru's giggle. "Then a few routine spays and neuters, the normal stuff." Natsu paused to make sure Haru was listening for the next part. He was. "But the big one," he grinned, "is I gotta remove a part of a dog's leg bone." Natsu tapped his upper thigh, "The femur bone."

Haru gasped and even Lucy looked intrigued as Natsu explained very carefully what was wrong with the dog's leg, or specifically her hip joint. The leg wasn't broken but the head of the femur was oddly oval shaped when it should've been more round. He'd just cut it off and smooth out the edges and presto! Leg fixed. It would still take time and a good amount of physical therapy for the dog to walk normally, but Natsu was confident the dog would be running around in no time. It was a pretty big procedure given all the steps needed to make sure the bone healed properly, which was why Natsu's day was so empty.

Haru was completely entranced with Natsu's little speech. It wasn't until the boy leaned forward and grinned as he asked, "Will you see blood and guts?" that Natsu thought the kid would make a good vet one day.

He leaned over to Haru and winked. "Would be a weird day if I didn't."

He and Haru snickered but Lucy only had to frown in disapproval as she tapped a finger against her cup for them both to focus on their food again. Natsu still snuck little winks and quiet jokes with Haru that they both hid behind their hands. It wasn't until Haru had pushed his empty plate away that Natsu decided now was the perfect time to whip out his amazing gift.

"So, little man," he said, turning to Haru with a serious look. "You been lookin' after Plue good?"

Haru nodded, a wide grin stretching over his chubby cheeks. "Yeah! Me and mom are still working on cleaning her room so Plue has to sleep with me in _my room_. I let her sleep on my bed and have my blanket cause she needs a soft and warm place to sleep since she's pregnant. Mom said it was okay too!"

"Only until we get Plue's room cleaned, Haru," Lucy said, ever the voice of reason. "She can't have the puppies _on_ your bed."

Haru actually pouted at that and Natsu laughed so hard at the boy's expression he nearly fell out of his chair. "As _awesome_ as that would be," he said, winking at Haru as he recovered from his laughter, "I think you're forgetting something important."

Haru and Lucy blinked. "What's that?" they asked.

With an exaggerated flourish and excited grin, Natsu reached into his pocket and pulled out a real, state-of-the-art stethoscope. Haru's eyes widened and he gasped as his mouth fell open. "Woah…"

Natsu held it out to him. "Gotta make sure those puppies are doin' good. And what better way than to listen to 'em grow yourself?" he said.

Carefully, and with shaking fingers, Haru took the stethoscope from Natsu. It was his old one he'd had in vet school. His parents had bought him his current one when he'd graduated but he'd kept the old one for sentimental reasons. It had hung on a hook in his home office since, but now Natsu figured it'd have a better time in Haru's hands. Kid would likely listen to a frog's heart just for fun.

For a moment, Haru said nothing, too busy looking over the shiny metal and red rubber to do much else, but then he looked up at Natsu with wide, awestruck eyes and Natsu was sure this kid was something special. "This is mine?" he asked, voice soft and a little timid sounding.

Natsu chuckled and nodded. "You betcha, kiddo!"

Haru had never smiled so large before. "Thank you!" he cried, practically leaping forward to clutch at Natsu's scarf and pull him into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you!_ " Natsu grinned and ruffled the boy's hair as a hugged him back. Haru laughed as he pulled away and spun to Lucy, proudly showing her the genuine stethoscope he had. "Look mom! It's a _real_ stethoscope. Just like Natsu's!"

Lucy smiled and this time there was no trace of a small, sad tilt to the corners. She laughed when Haru excitedly pulled her down to test out his new tool. She peeked at Natsu over the top of Haru's head and mouthed, 'thank you'. Natsu smiled and rubbed the back of his now warm neck, shrugging as he watched Haru fumble with the chest piece a bit.

For the next fifteen or so minutes, Natsu showed Haru exactly where to place the chest piece to hear different internal organs, using a slightly sleepy Happy as a practice patient and occasionally Lucy or Natsu himself. Haru's favorite part was listening to Natsu's stomach gurgling as he finished his eggs and bacon. It was more fun than Natsu had had in a long time. Haru was laughing and asking so many questions Natsu felt like he was being quizzed for his final exams again. Lucy was smiling with such a soft look in her eyes as she watched them that Natsu felt his chest squeeze every time he looked at her. Eventually Lucy began loading up the empty plates and tapped Natsu's shoulder from where he and Haru were bent over Happy listening to his heartbeat.

He looked up at her and raised an eyebrow. Lucy smiled, "It's about time for you to head out if you don't want to be late."

Natsu glanced at his watch and blinked. When had it gotten so late? "Shoot. Didn't realize the time. Thanks Luce!" he said, and gave her a quick smirk when she waved him off. He stood and ruffled Haru's hair when the boy held up a dozing Happy to him. "Thanks, little man. We'll finish practicin' with that tomorrow, yeah?"

"Okay!" Haru said, nodding excitedly.

Natsu grinned and pulled his keys from his pocket before he paused and turned to Lucy. She raised an eyebrow at him as he pulled out a pen from his pocket. Without a word, Natsu grabbed Lucy's arm and quickly scrawled two numbers across her skin. Lucy squawked at Natsu to 'use a piece of paper, idiot!' but he just chuckled as he capped the pen and backed away.

"Top number's mine, in case you have any questions about Plue. Bottom's the number for a friend of mine that's great at fixin' up gardens and stuff. Give him a call and he'll get that backyard taken care of in a few days. Promise."

Lucy stood blinking at him as she cradled her arm against her chest. Haru waved from where he stood next to her holding the chest piece to her stomach. Natsu gave a quick salute and dashed over to his truck. Just because he knew it would annoy Lucy, he'd made sure to wash it last night, cleaning off all the mud that had been stuck on it since his farm rounds two weeks ago when it had rained. The white veterinary symbol on the front doors still stood out remarkably well against the dark red paint despite the wear and tear on the rest of the truck. Most of the dents were from normal things like tree branches and small fender-benders but a few were from cattle or horses getting _a little_ out of hand and kicking the sides as they ran past. Still, it was a thing of beauty in Natsu's humble opinion.

As he pulled out of the lot he glanced in his mirror at the little family. Haru was showing off his stethoscope to Yukino who'd managed to waddle her way outside. Natsu chuckled thinking of how ecstatic Haru would be when he realized he could hear the baby. Sting too would likely want to listen in on his baby. Natsu had never seen a prouder parent, and the kid wasn't even born yet!

His eyes flicked over to Lucy as she huffed all red-faced at the logos on his truck. She still held her arm close to her chest though, and something about the soft gesture made Natsu's chest feel a little lighter. He happily drove to work, unaware of the dopy smile on his face the whole way.

* * *

It was a disaster of the worst kind. Something that would, no doubt, go down as one of the worst things to ever happen to the Heartfilia household. At least, that's how Haru made it out to be. In all honesty, Lucy didn't think it was such a terrible thing. Surely not worth the threat of tears. But when she'd found Haru sitting in the middle of his room, Plue lounging along his back, with all his books lying around him as he clutched his stethoscope with tears welling up in his eyes she would have sworn her son had just been told he wouldn't have a birthday party this year.

"Haru, sweetie. What's wrong?" Lucy asked, hurrying over to his side to pull him into her arms.

Haru sniffed and blinked up at her with watery eyes. "I can't find it," he mumbled.

Lucy blinked in confusion. "Find what, Haru?"

"My animal book!" he cried before dramatically throwing himself onto Lucy's lap. Plue seemed inclined to follow her boy's example, because the next thing Lucy knew she was knocked back onto the floor with her son and pregnant dog sprawled overtop of her.

Wiggling a hand out from under Plue, she placed it on Haru's head, running her fingers through his fine hair. "You can't find you animal book?" she asked.

Haru shook his head against her stomach, letting out a pitiful whine to only emphasize his point that this was _truly_ a tragic event. Lucy knew exactly which book he was talking about. There were three books that Haru absolutely loved. His large book of Fairy Tales that Lucy read to him every night, his Mythical Creatures Book and his Animal Dictionary that cataloged nearly every species of animal on the planet. All were gifts from his father for various birthday's, but more than just their obvious sentimental value Haru loved to read and re-read the stories and information in them. Lucy couldn't count how often she'd find her son on his bed in a make-shift pillow fort reading up on the anatomy of anything from a troll to a shark.

Now Lucy could see why her son was so distraught.

"Well, I'm sure it's here somewhere," she said, trying to gently nudge Plue off her so she could sit up. Dog wasn't having it. "H-have you checked in all your boxes?" Lucy wheezed when Plue's elbow hit her diaphragm a little too hard.

"Yeeeeeessssss," Haru whined.

"Well…maybe it's in one of my boxes."

Haru sat up then, and of course Plue did as well. "You think so?" he sniffed.

Lucy smiled. "I'm sure it's somewhere."

It wasn't somewhere. In fact, Lucy would say the book was _nowhere_. They'd opened every box that Lucy had meticulously packed all her books in, to the point that her bedroom looked like a library going out of business, and still no Animal Dictionary. Haru was nearing tears again and Lucy could honestly say she felt a little disappointed too. The only other boxes in the house were filled with seasonal decorations and extra pots and pans for the kitchen. Hardly where one of Haru's favorite books would be.

With a defeated sigh, Lucy slumped back against the foot of her bed. Plue licked her face once from her spot on Lucy's bed tucked amongst the pillows and downy comforters. Lucy had tried to convince the dog to get off the bed as soon as she'd hopped up, but after the third time of Plue blinking up at her with bright eyes that looked a touch on the sad side, Lucy had decided she could give Plue a pass this time around. She'd been pregnant herself and knew the comfort a soft bed could give, after all.

"I don't know, Haru. Maybe we accidently left it back in our old apartment," she said, despite how awful she felt if that were the case.

Haru frowned from his spot to her right, slumping back against the bed much like Lucy was. "Maybe…"

Lucy reached out and took his hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Why were you looking for this book anyway, sweetie?"

A pause that Lucy knew from experience likely meant something she wouldn't approve of lasted a few seconds too long. She glanced over at him and saw her son twist his shirt in his free hand. A habit he'd developed whenever he felt nervous or sad. "Haru," Lucy warned, her tone dropping into a slight warning as she looked down at her son from the corner of her eye.

He fidgeted with his t-shirt and mumbled, "I wanted to read about birds."

Lucy blinked. Birds? What would Haru want to know about birds? "Why did you want to read about birds?"

He shrugged. "Just wondering about eggs and stuff."

Lucy pursed her lips. After dealing with her often rambunctious and energetic son for so long, Lucy had learned to always, _always_ be at least _partly_ suspicious over Haru's seemingly innocent curiosity. The last time he'd asked about lobsters, of all things, Lucy had found a small crawdad sitting in the bottom of her toilet. She still didn't know where he'd gotten it from and the boy never said. Lucy suspected Sting was behind it, though that was more from her brother being an avid prankster than any real evidence. Point being, Haru wondering about birds likely stemmed from the fact that he either already had or was planning on bringing a bird into the house. A definite "no-no" in Lucy's book.

Still, Lucy didn't want to jump into a long lecture about the dangers of bringing wild animals in the house. Again. Not when Haru was so clearly upset over his missing book. "Well, I suppose we can always try looking for a new book in town," she said.

Haru sat up and blinked away his tears instantly. "Really? You think they have an animal book?"

Lucy hummed and nodded, promising that they would look in one of the local bookstores.

And that was how Lucy and Haru managed to walk into Solid Script after her morning shift the next day. Lucy looked around the small bookstore and took a deep breath in, relishing the smell of old paper and ink. She had always loved the smell of bookstores. The smaller the better, in her opinion, and Solid Script was certainly little. The hole-in-the-wall store was located down a side alley branching off from the main street in town. Close enough for there to be a good line of customers during the tourist seasons but out of the way enough that on days like today it was wonderfully empty. Which meant Lucy and Haru could browse for as long as they needed to find their animal book. And if Haru happened to knock over a few books then Lucy only had to deal with the manager.

Still, something about the place nagged at the back of Lucy's mind. Erza had mentioned the store to her during one of their now frequent "playdates", as Erza liked to call them. The woman had been _especially_ fond of the 'Romance' section Solid Script had to offer, specifically the adult novels. Much to Lucy's amused horror. But that wasn't why this place seemed vaguely familiar. Wandering down the aisles, Lucy tried to think back to the many times she'd visited the local bookstores with her mother when she was a kid. She had a feeling she would've remembered coming to a place like this though.

Thick, mahogany shelves towered all around them, reaching just shy of the ceiling and ladders had to be placed every few feet along the sleek tracks that ran around the floor like a series of curling snakes. Some shelves sat in rows but others were placed in loose circles, making an odd and almost disorientating place to browse. In fact, Lucy couldn't even see where they were meant to check out.

Thankfully, as she and Haru wound their way through the maze of shelves, the books seemed to be organized remarkably well. Each genre was alphabetized starting from the front left corner and ending in the back right from what Lucy could see. And each genre was organized by the author's last name and then the book's publishing date rather than title (a personal preference that Lucy had always quietly judged book stores on). Popular books were placed on separate shelves or tables located around their genre, the 'Teen Fiction' section being especially popular from what Lucy could see of it in the back. Lucy was sure she had stumbled upon a slice of heaven, the place now a certain favorite spot, and she'd only been inside for five minutes!

Haru held tightly to her hand as they neared the 'Nature' section but tugged out of her grasp when they entered a gap between the tall shelves. "Reiki!" he gasped, moving forward a few feet before seeming to catch himself and looked back at Lucy. "Um, mom. Can I go see Reiki?"

Lucy chuckled and waved him off.

Haru grinned and raced down the aisle to his friend. Reiki was sitting in a small alcove lined with plush, leather sofas that were an ugly color of green that kinda reminded Haru of throw up. Reiki hadn't seen him yet, too busy flipping through his book while he stifled a yawn behind his hand, looking even more board than usual. Haru's grin turned mischievous as a wonderful idea came to him.

Crouching low behind a table piled high with books about something probably boring, Haru slinked his way over to the side of the sofa. He peeked over the top of the arm rest and Reiki still hadn't seen him. His best friend was still looking through his book when Haru jumped onto the sofa and tackled Reiki into the cushions.

"Gotcha!" he cried.

Haru laughed while Reiki yelped in shock before laughing along with him. "Haru?! What are you doing here?" he asked while pushing a hand onto Haru's cheek to shove him off.

Haru grinned, mouth squished to the side from Reiki's hand. "I scared you didn't I? You didn't even _see me!_ " he laughed.

Reiki rolled his eyes as he pushed Haru away and sat up. "Well, I just thought I wouldn't be attacked in the bookstore. If I'd known you were coming I would've been ready."

"Suuuureee," Haru teased and struck his best ninja pose as he knelt on the sofa. "I'm like a ninja now."

Someone cleared their throat to Haru's left and he looked up as a girl in a ridiculously poufy orange and pink tutu and a black shirt that said 'Princesses are Smart too' in glittered letters glared at him from her spot stuffed in a yellow beanbag. Her hair was a dark purplish-blue, almost black, and fell in frizzy waves to her shoulders, held back from her face only by her pink head band. Beside her, a _huge_ black dog sat watching Haru with his one eye closely. A thick, pink scar cut over the dog's left eye, only showing off the fact that he only had one eye even more. It was kinda cool and creepy at the same time. The dog, beanbag and large tutu only made the girl seem even smaller but her honey brown eyes glittered dangerously as she looked Haru up and down.

"You know, it's _very rude_ to tackle someone when they're reading," she sniffed.

"Huh?" Haru said.

Beside him Reiki sighed and picked up his book again. "Emma, this is Haru. Haru, Emma."

Haru blinked at the familiar name. "Oh. You're Reiki's girl friend, huh?" he said, looking at Emma.

The girl's eyes suddenly sparkled as a bright smile slowly stretched over her face. "Reiki said I was his girlfriend?" she gasped.

Before Haru could say anything, Reiki gave a weird choked yelp and nearly threw his book in the air as his arms frantically waved around. "NO! No, no, no, no! I told Haru you were my _friend_. Just friend, who was a girl too."

Emma's smile faded and she crossed her arms and pouted. "Oh," was all she said before shoving her nose in a book that was nearly as big as her.

Haru scratched his head and looked over at Reiki. His best friend's face was as red as his mom's hair as he stared down at the floor with his lips pressed tightly together. Haru shifted on the sofa, suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, and looked at Reiki then Emma. "Umm. Did I say something wrong?" he asked.

"No!" Reiki and Emma said together. They glanced at each other before quickly hiding behind their books again.

Haru didn't say anything for a moment, figuring he'd said something Reiki and Emma weren't happy about. Well, maybe Emma was happy. Honestly, Haru wasn't sure about her. "Uhhh…I like your dog. He's really big and cool. Like a Kludde."

Emma blinked at him. "You know what a Kludde is?" she asked.

Haru grinned and nodded. "Yep! I read all about them in my Mythical Creatures Book. Your dog isn't as scary though." He remembered reading about black dogs in his book and how they were supposed to be scary and mean and lived in old woods and would chase people. Haru shivered as he thought about them. He'd had to sleep with his parents for a few nights after that. His mom had been upset at his dad for letting Haru read the dark creatures' part of his book. But Haru was a big kid and he wasn't _scared_ or anything. He'd just been a little worried about his parents is all.

Emma looked a little impressed and leaned back into her beanbag as she reached out to pat the dog's side. "I've always thought Lily looked like a werewolf. He's very nice but if someone is mean or daddy isn't happy he'll bark and growl like there's a full moon." She giggled and kicked her feet out. "He even howls in his sleep sometimes."

Haru laughed and even Reiki chuckled a little. "My dog shivers _all the time_ , even though she's not cold. It's pretty funny."

"You have a dog?" Reiki asked.

Haru nodded. "Yeah! Her name's Plue. Me and mom found her at the park and brought her home so she's ours now," he said proudly. "Mom thought Plue was a boy at first but then Natsu said she was a girl. _And_ she's gonna have puppies soon."

Reiki's eyes widened and Emma gasped before launching out of her seat and rushing over to Haru. "You're going to have puppies?! That's _so_ cool! Daddy had Lily before he and mommy had me so I've _never_ had a puppy. Uncle Natsu has a kitten though…"

Haru blinked. "Natsu is your uncle?" he asked.

Emma nodded. "Yep. He and daddy are cousins and he comes over to play all the time and brings Happy and tells me stuff about animals and he _always_ has funny jokes."

Haru looked down at his lap, hands starting to twist in his shirt. He wasn't sure why but he felt a little upset Natsu was having fun with Emma too. He didn't know why he would care, Emma seemed nice and all, just talked a lot. And if Natsu was her uncle then they probably had fun all the time, like Haru and his uncle did. But a part of Haru wanted Natsu to only tell him and his mom jokes and fun stories about animals like he did at breakfast. Natsu was funny and always had something cool to do. He shook his head and stopped thinking about that. He liked Emma and didn't want to be mean after all.

Emma clasped her hands over her heart and puffed out her bottom lip as she looked up at Haru. "Can I play with them when they're born, Haru? Please. _Pleeeeeeaseeeeee_."

Reiki muttered something about Emma being too loud but Haru didn't mind. He paused to think it over, tapping his chin and looking at the ceiling the way Natsu would sometimes do when he was being funny. "Weeeell, I don't know," he said slowly, snickering quietly when Emma let out an annoyed squawk. "I mean, we should probably be friends first." Haru held out his hand (without any spit on it cause that was a best friends _only_ hand shake) and Emma didn't waist a second to grab it and bounce it up and down excitedly.

She giggled and Haru grinned, feeling a little warm now that he had another friend. Natsu would still want to play with him now that Haru was friends with Emma, right? Of course he would! Natsu was nice like that, and Haru had a feeling Emma was nice too. "Now you both can come over and see the puppies whenever you want," he promised.

Reiki smiled and Emma practically beamed. Reiki tapped Haru's shoulder. "So is that why you're here? To get a book about puppies?" he asked.

Haru twisted his shirt and ducked his head a little. "Well…kind of. I lost my book about animals so me and mom are here looking for a new book. But it's not to read about puppies."

"What's it about?" Emma asked. "My mommy owns this store so I know where every book is," she said proudly, putting her hands on her hips.

Haru glanced over his shoulder at his mom but she was busy looking at some love book with two people kissing on the front. Gross. He grabbed Reiki's shoulder and Emma's arm to pull them both closer. "Can you guys keep a secret?"

Emma gave a sly smile and Reiki smirked as they both nodded.

Across the room, Lucy browsed through the 'Romance' section. It was large enough that she could still keep an eye on Haru at the end of the aisle despite being near the back. Erza wasn't lying when she'd said the store had a large variety of adult novels to select from. Romance had always been one of Lucy's favorite genres, second only to a good fantasy/adventure, but even so she'd never really been one for the more racy novels.

 _It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book like this_ , she mused as she skimmed the back of a book featuring a roguishly handsome pirate and a rather large chested maiden in a nearly revealing dress. It was a little scandalous for Lucy's tastes and she was very grateful the store was empty and Haru was off on his own so no one could see her look it over. She glanced up at Haru still chatting happily with Reiki and another girl around his age. Lucy paused to carefully look over the girl. Something about her frizzy hair and tiny body seemed familiar…

"Lu-Lu?"

Lucy nearly dropped the book she was holding as she spun around and had to blink down at the petite woman standing behind her. Lucy wasn't tall by any means, and she cursed her brother for having gotten their father's height while she'd been stuck with their mother's, but this woman was downright _small_. And Lucy could, unfortunately, only remember one person who had always stayed a few inches shorter than her. The frizzy blue hair and thick red glasses helped too. In fact, Levy McGarden had hardly changed a bit from when Lucy had last seen her so many years ago. The woman was still favoring her orange sundresses, Lucy could see.

"Levy?" she gasped as her old friend quickly tugged her forward into a hug that was far more gentle than Erza's had been.

"Lu-Lu! I can't believe it! I thought you were still living in Crocus. Are on a trip to visit Sting? Why didn't you tell me you were here?" Levy whined.

"Uhhh…" _Now_ Lucy remembered why this store had sounded familiar. Erza had mentioned it was owned by their old friend Levy. Lucy was a bit ashamed to think she'd been in Magnolia for almost a month and had yet to call all her old friends. Had she not happened into Erza that first week Lucy doubted she'd have called her either. While it was true she had stopped talking with Levy and Erza a while ago, Lucy had never felt like their friendships had _stopped_ , just been paused, and she had been too scared to hit play when she'd returned for multiple reasons. Honestly, after she'd first talked with Erza, Lucy had fully intended on calling Levy, even asking Erza for the woman's number, but then things started to move so fast, with Natsu and Plue and the house that she'd honestly forgot. Which only made Lucy feel even worse.

She took a deep breath as Levy released her from her hug, still holding her hands though as the small woman bounced on her feet excitedly. "Well, I've actually decided to move back here…with my son."

Levy raised an eyebrow and Lucy tried not to fidget under her gaze. Despite her sweet looks, Levy had never been one to put up with anyone's crap. And she was absolutely brilliant too, so it was only natural for Lucy to be a little bit nervous. She probably noticed Lucy's hesitation and the fact she'd left out any mention of her husband. Belatedly, Lucy wondered if she would ever not become a little worried about mentioning her husband, or rather _not_ mentioning him. She supposed in time but everything was still so… _fresh_ , despite the year that had passed.

Her worries seemed to be for nothing as Levy simply smiled and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. "Really? Lucy, that's wonderful! How old is your son? My daughter, Emma, just turned eight last month."

Lucy released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, feeling herself relax. "Haru is seven, but he'll be eight in July."

Levy nodded and glanced over Lucy's shoulder and smiled. "Is that Haru over there with Emma and Reiki? Oh Lu-Lu he's so cute!" She crossed her arms and nodded approvingly. "I always knew you would have cute kids."

Lucy chuckled and glanced over her shoulder at her son. He was sitting on a couch next to Reiki, both laughing as Emma excitedly bounced around in front of the couch before Haru hopped off to happily join her. Lucy couldn't believe how much Emma looked like her mother. The girl was the spitting image of Levy, the only difference was Levy's hair was a light blue while Emma's was far darker. A trait likely inherited from her father, no doubt.

Lucy smiled as Haru and Emma both started excitedly chattering with their heads dipped close together, ignoring Reiki as he tried to calmly ask them to keep their voices down despite the smile on his face. Clearly Reiki would be the voice of reason in their little group. And from the looks of it, Lucy figured he'd have one heck of a time keeping Haru and Emma under control. The two seemed to only hype each other up more and more, only settling when Reiki placed a hand on their shoulders and said something with a smile that looked just a tad threatening.

 _Maybe Reiki really did take after Erza in his temperament_ , Lucy thought with a shudder. "Yes, that one's mine," she said.

Levy squealed behind her and Lucy heard her ears ring at the high sound. "Oh Lu, he's adorable. And he's already friends with Reiki and Emma!"

Lucy winced and rubbed at her arm. "Well, actually, Haru and Reiki have been friends for a few weeks now…" she mumbled.

Levy was quiet for a moment and Lucy chanced a glance at her old friend. Levy crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, an amused look in her eye. "Oh, is that right? Lucy, how long have you and Haru been in town?"

Lucy would be lying if she said she didn't consider grabbing Haru and rushing out the door for a moment. Levy obviously knew the answer was probably longer than the normal amount for Lucy not to have called her up again. Lucy gave a nervous smile, "Uhhh…about a month-"

"Lucy!" Levy cried and smacked her small fist against Lucy's arm.

"Ow! I'm sorry Lev! I just got distracted with moving and the house and with the dog and…" she trailed off, shoulders sagging as Lucy heaved a tired sigh. "It's just been a lot to deal with." The whole past _year_ had been a lot.

Levy placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, "Oh, Lu, I get it. But if you're dealing with a lot you know you can always talk to me, right? I know we haven't talked in a while but we are still friends." Levy smirked up at her when Lucy finally met her gaze. "I'm sure Erza told you the same thing."

Lucy couldn't help the slight wince as she thought of the long talk she'd had with Erza just a few days ago. The woman had been unbelievably understanding and Lucy had gone on to have several more long talks with her when their sons were busy playing. Levy, of course, realized she must have said something to upset Lucy and she quickly took the small woman's hands to reassure her. "Levy. There's a lot I need to talk to you about. I've already told Erza but…I want to tell you too."

Levy nodded once, her expression serious and almost too knowing for Lucy's tastes. "Okay Lu-Lu. We can talk at my desk in the back room. Haru can stay here and play with Emma and Reiki if you'd like."

Lucy hadn't really meant she wanted to talk right then but she supposed the sooner the better. At least Lucy was getting better at telling people about her life in the past year. Erza's support had been a tremendous help in boosting Lucy's confidence in being able to talk about her husband without bursting into tears out right. And sweet Yukino was slowly introducing Lucy to many of her old friends bit by bit. Cana, in particular, had taken one look at Lucy and pulled her into a bone crushing hug, whispering softly, "I'm so sorry, Lucy," before sitting her down for the next hour to read her and Haru's fortunes. Only furthering Lucy's belief that the woman truly was a psychic.

Lucy nodded and took Levy's hand and tugged her over to her son. "Okay, but first I want you to meet my son, Lev," she said with a bright smile. "I have a feeling he, Emma and Reiki are going to be spending _a lot_ of time together."

Levy hummed in agreement as they walked over to the kids. Emma and Haru were sprawled across the floor peering into a large book that looked very much like an animal dictionary. Reiki sat a little off to the side patting a very large black dog's side as he absently skimmed through a book about knights.

"I see you found your new book," Lucy said as she and Levy walked up.

Haru's head jerked over to her and he gave Lucy a bright smile as he happily nodded. "Yeah! Emma helped me find it. She knows where all the books are cause her mom owns the store."

Lucy nodded in appreciation as she crouched down next to her son. "I see. Well Haru, since you've already met Emma here, I'd like to introduce her mom, and my friend, Levy…" she glanced over her shoulder at the woman, silently asking for her last name.

"Redfox," she said.

"Levy Redfox."

Haru smiled and politely held out a hand to Levy, "Nice to meet you Mrs. Redfox," he said.

Levy practically squealed at how cute Haru was. "Oh you are just too cute! And please, call me Levy."

Haru nodded before turning back to Lucy to show her the book he'd found. "Mom look! It's the same animal book dad gave me. We'll get it right?"

Lucy chuckled. "That's why we came here," she said, poking Haru's side and he chuckled. "Haru, sweetie. I'm going to go talk with Levy for a moment if you're okay playing here with Reiki and Emma. Sound good?"

"Yeah! Can we play checkers too?" he asked, pointing to the table against the wall with an overly large set of checkers on it.

Lucy nodded and straightened before following Levy through the tall shelves towards the back wall where a long counter stood with a few high chairs behind the register. She could hear Haru and Emma talking loudly along with the clank of checker pieces smacking the table. "Are you sure the kids will be okay?" Lucy asked when she realized she could no longer see Haru.

Levy waved off her concern. "You're forgetting Lu, this is Magnolia, not Crocus. If anyone even comes in here they won't bother the kids." She glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "Besides, Lily will guard those kids with his life."

"Lily?"

"My husband, Gajeel's, dog. He's very sweet with children, most people actually, but he won't let anyone he doesn't know bother the kids. I never have to worry about Emma. Lily sticks to her side like glue."

Lucy nodded as she slid into the seat behind the counter next to Levy. The large black dog certainly had looked like an animal no one would want to mess with, yet he seemed perfectly fine to let Reiki lean against his side as the boy read his book. _A gentle giant_ , she thought.

She ended up sitting with Levy for a while, telling her about the past year and even about her life before the accident. It was easier than the last time she'd talked with Erza and Lucy found herself smiling more often than she'd expected. There were still times with she teared up a bit, mostly when she talked about the issues she'd had the past year with her husband's death and caring for Haru alone. She kept it relatively short and Levy never pushed her for more concerning the accident, just like Erza had. Levy made tea in the store's back room and despite the somber way their conversation started out soon the two women were laughing and chatting about all the trouble they used to get into.

Lucy paused to take a deep breath of her tea, closing her eyes and just taking in the smell of chamomile and books. _A breath of fresh air_ , she thought.

"You know Lu, I watch Reiki pretty often since Erza and Jellal are off at work. You're more than welcome to visit with Haru anytime. Or if you want some time to yourself to just…relax I can watch him for you." Levy giggled and adjusted her large glasses. "We could always dump them on Gajeel and have us a girl's day too."

Lucy laughed. "That does sound tempting," she mused.

"Mom!" Haru called as he suddenly raced around the corner with Emma hot on his heels, Reiki calmly following a ways behind with Lily. "Mom! Emma said she had a pool and was going swimming tomorrow with Reiki! She wanted to know if I could go too! Can I? Please," he asked, small hands clasped under his chin.

" _Pleeeeeeaseeeeee_ ," Emma whined next to him, eyes big and hopeful as she too clasped her hands and looked up at the two women overtop the counter.

Levy chuckled. "What did I tell you, Lu?"

Lucy looked over at her. "You wouldn't mind? I have to work tomorrow so it would just be you and the kids I'm afraid," she said.

Levy only smiled and waved off her concern. "Oh, I'm not worried. Reiki is a perfect little gentleman and will help me keep these two in line."

Reiki smirked while Haru made a show of listing off how he was a gentleman too, despite the fact he tended to talk a bit too loudly and waved his arms about. In the back of Lucy's mind she thought he seemed an awful lot like Natsu.

* * *

The next two weeks passed in a blur for Lucy as she seemed to barely have any time to rest. After learning that Sting had been randomly giving her time off to try to keep her from meeting some of the townsfolk (namely the single men) from Yukino, Lucy had _refused_ to take any more time off for the rest of the month. She'd also given her brother quite the lecture about boundaries and how his constant hovering was a sure-fire way to piss her off.

Sting had relented, saying he was only trying to look out for her, as any loving little brother would do (his words, not hers), and promised to back off a little, and had danced off to his kitchen before Lucy could thoroughly yell at him. Honestly, Lucy couldn't believe he'd given up six revenge pranks for _that_. Although, after meeting Hibiki, Ren and Eve, three men who flirted like they'd come right out of an overdramatic rom-com, she was starting to see what Sting had meant. Some of the men in Magnolia _were_ a bit much to handle.

Work aside, Lucy's free time was largely devoted to making sure Plue was fully situated in their little home. And that started with cleaning out the backyard and old potting room. Natsu's friend, as it turned out, had been an absolute miracle worker when it came to fixing up the backyard. Gildarts Clive was well known in Magnolia as one of the best landscapers around and Lucy could certainly see why. The wonderfully detailed and precise design plans Gildarts had drawn up in only a few hours had looked amazing, to say the least. The grid pattern and layout was perfect for the size of the yard, even taking into account the overhanging trees from the neighbor's yards. It left plenty of open space for Haru to play in as well as enough flower patches for Lucy to be perfectly content surrounded by the colorful foliage that would match the yellow cottage wonderfully.

It was perfect, but perhaps a bit much for her budget. At least that's what she'd thought until Gildarts had assured her not to worry about it. "Don't worry. Natsu said you're a friend of his so you get the family discount," he'd said, wide smile so sincere Lucy hadn't even bothered to argue.

Apparently, Gildarts was Natsu's father's good friend and he'd not only made sure to give Lucy a _very_ generous deal but also managed to turn the weed infested garden into a beautiful oasis in only three short days. And all without bringing any large equipment around the house too.

Backyard taken care of, Lucy had cleaned the old potting room like there was no tomorrow. She'd scrubbed every inch of the room with a natural and completely pet-safe cleaner Natsu had given her _twice_ before allowing Plue to walk in. It was probably a bit much, after all Plue had been a stray up until a few days ago. Some old potting soil shouldn't have been an issue. But Lucy couldn't help it. She and Haru had quickly become attached to their sweet little dog, showering her with more than enough love and kisses to last a lifetime.

It helped that Natsu had made it a point to answer all her questions, and even the ones she didn't think to ask, over their little breakfast meetings. Plue's small mammary gland infection had cleared up by her next appointment, just as Natsu had said, and after her last checkup a few days ago she was well enough that Natsu wasn't worried a bit about her giving birth on her own.

All and all, by the time the puppies were set to arrive Lucy felt more tired than nervous. Which was why Lucy found herself dozing on the couch as she read late Tuesday night. Haru was already tucked in bed, having tired himself out at his fencing practice earlier that day. Surprisingly, he was doing rather well in the class. No injuries to date. Of course he'd only had three lessons so far but Lucy was happy regardless.

Placing the two of hearts from a deck of cards she'd long ago lost the rest of in the book, Lucy got up and flicked off the lights and small radio she'd had quietly playing in the background before making her way out of the living room when she paused at the end of the steps. A soft whining noise carried down the hall from the potting room in the back. Plue had taken to sleeping there for the past few days, holing up there just as Natsu had said she would. Still, this noise was new and Lucy couldn't tell if it was Plue or-

"The puppies!" she gasped.

The door to the potting room was open halfway, the soft glow of a nightlight the only thing illuminating the dark room. Lucy slowly opened the door the rest of the way and looked around in the dim light, not wanting to disturb Plue by turning the overhead light. The first thing Lucy saw when her eyes had adjusted was six wiggling, whining white furballs on the towels piled in the corner. Shuffling a bit further into the room, Lucy called out for Plue…a moment later she had to smack a hand over her mouth to hide her scream.

* * *

Natsu hummed a soft tune as he made his way from the den to the kitchen. He'd been looking through the latest reports for a new trial drug on treating cancer in dogs when he'd felt the need for a snack break. He pulled out the slices of turkey, ham, salami and cheese he always kept in his fridge, figuring he'd make one of his infamous triple meat sandwiches when his cell began ringing from the den.

Raising an eyebrow he looked over at where Happy sat perched on the island countertop eating small chunks of fish Natsu had caught in his pond earlier. "Who ya think that is?" he asked, patting the kitten's head as he walked by. It was too late for it to be Gray or even Lisanna asking if he wanted to grab a beer. Maybe someone was calling about an animal issue, though it wasn't his night to be on-call. Happy didn't even look up from the dish as Natsu sat the meat and cheese on the counter. Natsu huffed a laugh, "No, don't worry. I'll get it."

He'd barely lifted his cell to his ear before the frantic voice on the other end cut off any greeting he'd been about to say.

" _Natsu? Are you there?"_

It only took only an instant for Natsu to recognize the voice on the other end. And she didn't sound remotely okay. "Luce? What's wrong?" he asked, tone turning completely serious at the frantic waver in Lucy's voice.

" _Natsu!"_ she gasped. _"You have to come. Plue is…s-something's wrong."_

Natsu was already moving. Grabbing his keys from the hook by the door, he raced outside and nearly fell off the front porch in his mad dash across the yard to his truck. He barely paused to check that his medical bag was still in the back seat before peeling out of his drive, gravel spraying behind him. Lucy was still talking, trying to tell him what was happening but her voice was steadily getting higher and faster, to the point where Natsu could hardly make heads or tails of what she said.

" _Lucy!_ Lucy, breathe. In and out. Okay?" he called and she stuttered to a stop, taking a few shuddering breaths before letting out a soft 'okay'. "Hey, it's going to be fine," he told her. "I'm on my way but I need your address. You said you lived down Strawberry?"

" _Y-yeah. 503. It's the yellow cottage."_

"Okay. I'll be there in fifteen minutes," he said. He could cut a twenty-five minute drive down by ten minutes no sweat. "Now, what's goin' on with Plue?"

" _She's panting and vomiting. A-and…something's hanging out of her. I don't know what it is. She had six puppies like you said. Oh god Natsu! What if it's a puppy?!"_

"Calm down. It's probably not a puppy," he said. In fact, Natsu was already pretty sure it was something else entirely. He glanced at the clock and stepped on the gas a little harder. Eleven minutes left. Natsu thanked the stars it was late enough for the roads to be clear as he entered the town from the back roads. Mavis knew he was _technically_ speeding, as it was. At least Strawberry Street wasn't on the other side of town from Natsu's house in the country.

Lucy gave a few shaky breaths and Natsu wished he was already there. He couldn't imagine how she must have felt on her own like this. _"Not a puppy. Okay. Natsu what do I do? H-how far are you?"_

"Almost there, Lucy," he promised. "You said she had six pups, right? How're they lookin'?" he asked as he carefully moved around a tight turn.

There was the sound of some shuffling before Lucy gave a breathless, " _They're good. All breathing fine and they look healthy enough_."

"Okay, that's good. I need you make sure they're somewhere safe and warm but don't take them from the room Plue's in. Can you do that for me, Lucy?"

" _Yeah, yeah…of course. I'll just…I'll put them on the bed."_

Another glance at the clock. Seven minutes. "I'll also need some light when I get there, okay?"

" _Yeah. There's a light in the room. I have it off now though…"_

"That's fine," he said and pulled down the last street before Lucy's. "How's Haru?" he asked, worry spiking at the thought of the small boy seeing his beloved pet like this.

" _He's still asleep upstairs. He's a heavy sleeper and I've tried to be quiet…I don't want him to see this."_

Natsu fully got that. Kid may have been tough but this wasn't something for his eyes. And Natsu would be damned if he didn't save this dog. He pulled onto Strawberry Street and carefully looked out for 503. "I just got on Strawberry, Luce. I'll be there in a sec."

A pause. " _I'm at the end of the drive_." And sure enough, as Natsu pulled up to the only yellow cottage on the street there was Lucy. Eyes large and panicked, hair a mess as it tumbled from her bun in tangled waves like she'd tried to run her fingers through her hair but forgot it was up. There was even a bit of blood on her hands and shirt. Likely residue form when she'd handled the pups. At least, Natsu hoped that was all it was from.

"She's in the back room," she explained as soon as Natsu slid from his truck with the med bag in tow. "The puppies are in the corner and I think Plue knows they're there but she's too distressed to do anything except pant."

Natsu followed her into the house to the back room. She flicked on the light and Natsu took in the scene, recognizing the prolapsed uterus instantly and hoping it wasn't too late. "Let me wash my hands first," he said, turning back to the kitchen behind him. He scrubbed his hands quickly before returning to Lucy's side.

"Y-you're not going to take her to the hospital?" she asked.

"Probably. But I want to try something first." Plue had tried to settle in the corner near the pups, whimpering softly as she slumped on her side near the back wall. Despite the pain she must have been in, Natsu could still hear the occasional comforting whine she'd let out whenever one of the pups made a particularly loud yelp. He felt his chest squeeze at the devotion Plue had to her pups. She really was a good dog. Holding his hands up like a surgeon, Natsu nodded towards his bag by the door. "Could you bring my bag in too?"

Lucy nodded and hurried to the door. As she did, Natsu slowly approached Plue, sighing with relief that she was still conscious. That was good, meant the pain wasn't too bad and the bleeding was probably to a minimum. He turned his attention to the mass protruding from her vulva as he carefully settled himself behind her, taking care to softly coo to Plue so she knew where he was. He was fairly certain from the looks of things that Plue had given birth within the last half hour, which was good, he thought. _Less chance of necrosis on the uterus…_

"What now?" Lucy asked, suddenly at his side.

"I need you to hold her and keep her calm while I deal with this." Lucy nodded and shifted her attention to the dog, gently rubbing Plue's shoulder and whispering soft soothing words to her that Natsu couldn't completely make out. Plue's tongue lapped out the more Lucy talked to her and her ears twitched like she was trying to listen.

 _A damn good dog_ , Natsu thought. He gently checked over the uterus and Plue twitched slightly.

"What's wrong with her?" Lucy asked, her voice now carefully controlled and no longer panicked sounding but Natsu could still see the tension in her shoulders.

"She had a uterine prolapse. Part of the uterus has turned inside out while she gave birth and that's what this thing is. Good news is I know what to do. Bad news is it's not exactly common, so this'll be the first time I've done it on a dog. Treated a horse for it once, though. It's pretty rare." At Lucy's slightly panicked and disbelieving look Natsu turned back to the uterus to see if there were any tears or areas where the cells were starting to die. That'd be a big problem. "Were there any issues when she was giving birth?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't even know she'd had them. I just heard something and came back here and…Is she going to be okay?"

Natsu didn't answer, too focused on the uterus and too unsure about it to really give her a definite answer. "Lucy. I need you to reach into the bag and get the saline and jelly, okay?"

"What are you going to do?" she asked, already moving to open the med bag between them.

"I'm going to clean the uterus and try to manipulate it back inside. If I can get the swelling down and some proper blood flow goin' it should just contract on its own. Hopefully we won't have to resort to surgery." Natsu rinsed the uterus three times with the saline before taking the lubricant jelly from Lucy, hoping this would work.

Lucy couldn't stand to watch so she focused on talking to Plue and keeping her calm, hovering close to her ear as she whispered over and over about how good of a dog she was. Natsu stayed quiet, too focused on the rhythmic movements of his hand to do much else. She wasn't sure how long they stayed in the potting room for, but finally she saw Natsu sit back from the corner of her eye. He heaved a heavy sigh and rolled his shoulders to relieve the stiff tension she only just now realized he'd held in them since he'd arrived. It was then she noticed his hands weren't working anymore.

"Is it over?" she asked. "Is she okay?"

Natsu sighed and reached a hand out to run his fingers through his hair before catching himself and lowering them back to his lap. "Yes and no. Everything's back in place, and it seemed to contract fine, but she needs to go to the hospital for a few days to get her strength back. She'll need some antibiotics and fluids and I'll have to do an x-ray to make sure everything's fine but so long as things go well she'll be good as new."

"And it won't…fall back out?" she asked, nervously looking Plue over.

Natsu shook his head. "It shouldn't . It seemed to go back in normally." He looked up at her and grinned wide and happy despite the obvious tired tension that lined his face. "Guess your luck is still holdin', eh Lucy?"

And Lucy couldn't help but give a tired chuckle, all the fear and panic she'd felt leaking from her like water from an old tap. Resting a hand on Plue's side, she slumped forward and pressed her forehead into Natsu's shoulder. She felt him stiffen slightly but was too tired to pull back. "I don't know how to thank you, Natsu," she mumbled into the soft fabric of his shirt.

He chuckled and rested his chin on top of her head before rubbing it back and forth, no doubt his way of patting her back without using his hands. It only made Lucy smile more. "You just did, Luce."

Natsu and Lucy both quickly washed their hands before readying the back of Natsu's pickup for Plue to lie in. He'd take her and the pups back to the hospital alone since Lucy couldn't very well leave Haru, and she wanted to avoid having him see this as much as possible. Lucy was just glad there wasn't a lot of blood to deal with, and the vomit would be fairly easy to clean as most of it was on the many towels Lucy had placed around the room. She'd already tossed most of the soiled towels in the washer so Plue and the puppies weren't surrounded by it while she and Natsu readied his truck. Thank Mavis it was a warm, clear night and the hospital wasn't that far away.

They had just finished loading the bed up with blankets and pillows and walked back inside when Lucy caught Natsu's arm to pull him to a stop in the hall. "I know I already said this, but thank you. Really. I don't know what I'd have done if you weren't here Natsu."

He smiled. "Ya know, if ya ever need anything, Plue or otherwise, you can always call me. I'll be there, Luce. Promise."

Lucy pressed her lips together to hide the smile threatening to show and crossed her arms. She was still a bit shaken from everything, but who could blame her. Still, she had felt a sense of ease as soon as she'd seen Natsu's red truck. He'd been so steady and calm through the phone call and procedure that it had made Lucy calm too. She liked to think she was good with dealing with stressful situations but she'd always had a tough time dealing with medical emergencies, even before her husband's accident. Just the thought of seeing a loved one hurt often left Lucy feeling a little anxious. When he was still alive, her husband had often been the only one to keep her calm in situations like the one tonight, if only because he was calm himself. She'd forgotten how comforting it could be just to have someone by her side through an emergency or just a though time in general. Someone who could be calm when she no longer could, who wouldn't need to say or do anything but _be there_ and that was enough. It was… _nice_ to have someone like that again. If only as a good friend.

"You know, in most medical fields you're not supposed to promise anything," she said, a small smile pulling at her lips. "You're supposed to say something like "we'll do our best"."

Natsu's smile softened and he shifted his weight so he was leaning slightly closer. "Would you rather I didn't promise?" he asked.

Lucy shook her head. "No. But I hope you understand I plan on calling you for every little fix I need done on the house now," she teased.

Natsu smirked. "Is that right? Well, can't say I'm all that bothered."

For some reason, Lucy felt her neck heat up all the way to her ears. She ducked her head, hoping to hide whatever color had spread to her cheeks when she heard a soft yawn from behind her.

"Mom?"

Lucy jumped and quickly spun around to look at Haru standing at the bottom of the stairs, space pajamas in slight disarray and hair stuck up in what looked like four cow-licks. Any sense of calm Lucy had felt was quickly dashed out the window at the sight of her son. She was suddenly _very_ aware of the spots of blood and maybe vomit on her shirt. Lucy opened her mouth to say something but only a small squeak came out.

Haru blinked his tired eyes a few times before focusing on the man standing behind her. "Why is Natsu here?" he asked.

Before Lucy could even think of an appropriate response, Natsu walked past her and knelt down in front of Haru. "Hey there, little man. I just came over to help out with somethin'."

"What was it?" Haru asked around a large yawn.

Natsu smiled and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, steadying him as Haru swayed on his feet. "You wanna see somethin' amazing, kiddo?" he asked.

Haru perked up a bit but still sleepily rubbed at his eyes, obviously still halfway asleep. "Okay…"

Natsu moved to stand up but Haru lazily lifted his arms in a very obvious gesture for the man to carry him. Lucy was about to move forward and take her son but Natsu once again moved before her and picked Haru up to cradle him against his chest. Haru's head dropped down on his shoulder and he blinked slowly at Lucy. "Mom?"

She smiled and followed on Natsu's heels, reaching a hand up to try to tame Haru's unruly bedhead. "Everything's alright, Haru. In fact, something wonderful has happened."

Natsu didn't turn the light to the potting room back on when they walked in and Lucy didn't bother doing so either knowing the room was still a little dirty. Hopefully, Haru was too tired to really smell it. Natsu slowly dropped to the ground a little ways back from where Plue and the puppies laid. He shifted Haru in his arms until the boy was sitting in his lap and looking at the scene before him. Lucy settled to Natsu's left, her hand automatically reaching out to shift through her son's hair as his head tipped back against Natsu's chest like he was ready to fall asleep again.

Natsu chuckled and poked at Haru's cheek. "Common, kiddo. Ya gotta open your eyes to see this."

Lucy watched the two of them with a soft smile and nervous flutter in her chest that she didn't want to bother trying to name right then. Haru shifted before slowly peeking open his eyes and blinking at the six wiggling pups before him. "Puppies?!" he gasped softly and Natsu chuckled.

"Yep. Six of 'em, just like I said."

"Woah…" Haru leaned forward a little so he wasn't slumped against Natsu's chest. He turned to look over at Lucy and he grinned a bright smile that Natsu quickly matched as he looked at her too. The little flutter suddenly spread out to the rest of Lucy's body, making her feel oddly warm. "Mom!" Haru whisper shouted. "We have puppies! Plue has puppies!"

Lucy smiled and cupped her son's cheek, thumb gently stroking his soft skin. "Yes, sweetie. She just had them while you were asleep."

"Cool." Haru turned to look back at Natsu, "And that's why you're here?"

"You bet, kiddo. Someone had to make sure these little guys were okay."

Haru nodded and turned back around to look at the puppies again. "You did a good job, Plue," he whispered and Lucy's heart nearly broke from the tired thump of Plue's tail as she wagged it a few times. "Can I pet them?" Haru asked.

"'Fraid not, Haru," Natsu sighed. "Plue's pretty tired and so are the pups. They've had a pretty eventful time while you were asleep," he teased, poking Haru's side so he giggled softly. "I'm going to take them back to the animal hospital for the night to make sure they're okay. But you and your mom can see them tomorrow."

Haru immediately turned to Lucy, eyes large and pleading as he clasped his hands under his chin. "Can we mom? Please. Plue might get lonely without us."

Lucy stifled a snort behind her hand. "Oh, with these little guys, I don't think she will be board for a while. But we'll go see her after work tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay. Good."

They didn't sit there for very long, as Natsu was in a hurry to get Plue to the hospital. When it was time to load her into the bed, Natsu carried her from the house and placed her among the sheets in the truck's bed. Lucy carefully bundled the pups in a laundry basket with a soft blanket. She passed the wiggling pups to Natsu on the porch when Haru hurried down the stairs, stumbling slightly over the edge of his favorite green pillow.

"Natsu!" he called. The man paused in the yard and waited for Haru to reach his side. He held out his pillow, "For Plue and the puppies. So they don't get scared."

Natsu grinned, "Yeah? Well, I doubt they'll be scared with a cool pillow like that."

Haru giggled as he trailed after him to the truck. Natsu placed the basket on the passenger seat before lifting Haru to place his pillow in the bed next to Plue's head. The dog let out a soft huff before burying her nose in the pillow. "What about the puppies?" Haru asked as Natsu handed him over to Lucy. He was still looking very tired but his head wasn't drooping as much anymore. Still, he laid his head on Lucy's shoulder when she rubbed his back soothingly.

"They'll sit in the front with me when we go to the hospital. They need to be with their mama," Natsu smirked and playfully ruffled Haru's hair at the boy's slight pout. "It'll be fine, kiddo. I'll watch them all night. Promise."

Lucy rolled her eyes but smiled all the same as Natsu climbed into the truck. "I'll call you tomorrow before we stop in," she said.

Natsu nodded, starting the engine before leaning out his window to grin down at her and Haru. "Don't worry. She's going to be fine."

Haru said nothing as he held out his hand, pinky raised. Natsu didn't even hesitate a second before wrapping his own around Haru's. Lucy was struck once again with a warm feeling that spread out from her chest at the sight. She and Haru waited in the driveway as Natsu quickly drove off, neither saying anything for a moment until the tail lights had disappeared around the bend. Heaving a very tired sigh, Lucy turned and carried Haru back inside.

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"Can I sleep with you?"

Lucy smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Of course."


	10. Chapter 10: A New Plan

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this. Also, the song Natsu picks out in this chapter is** _ **Blue Ain't Your Color**_ **by Keith Urban. At least, that was the song in my head when I wrote it but you can pick whatever you want. Also, I did want to warn everyone that I have made some changes to Juvia's character. It's nothing very drastic and I am going to try to make her as close to Mashima's depiction of her as possible but I wanted to give her a more unique standing in my story. Just thought I'd give you all a heads up so wouldn't be too thrown.**

Chapter 10: A New Plan

When Igneel walked into the animal hospital early in the morning, he didn't expect to see his son asleep on a cot in the recovery room next to a cage with a fluffy white dog and six pups inside. Lisanna had called him that morning saying she'd lost her keys (again) and couldn't get ahold of Natsu. Figuring his son must have misplaced his phone (again), Igneel grabbed the spare key he kept at his house and headed off at seven in the morning to let Lisanna in, not expecting his son to already be there. He paused in the doorway and looked Natsu up and down before nudging his foot that hung over the side of the too-small cot. Natsu groaned and somehow managed to roll onto his side despite his shoulders being wider than the frame.

Igneel smirked and nudged him again. "Come on, boy. Time to get up."

"No," Natsu mumbled.

Igneel rolled his eyes and took a sip of his tea from the large thermos, waving the bag of doughnuts he'd brought for himself hard enough for his son to hear the familiar crinkle of the paper bag. "Your ma made doughnuts."

Natsu peeked open one eye and looked over his shoulder at the older man. His pink hair flopped over his forehead in a way that always reminded Igneel of when his son was just a boy. "With chocolate icin'," he asked.

Igneel grinned, "Has she ever made anything else?"

Natsu grumbled but slowly pushed himself up, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "Man, I'm tired," he mumbled.

Igneel chuckled and handed him his tea. "Here. Let's get some fresh air, boy."

Natsu grunted as he trailed after Igneel, pausing for a moment to check on the dog and pups. A few minutes later they sat out on the tailgate of Natsu's large truck in the parking lot watching the sunrise peek over the trees. "So, what are you doin' here, old man?" Natsu asked as he stuffed a doughnut in his mouth.

"Lisanna called. She lost her key and couldn't get ahold of you." Igneel clicked his tongue and shook his head. "I swear, that girl has one knack for locking herself on the wrong side of the door. Surprised she hasn't locked herself in another world with how scatter brained she can be."

"Lisanna's here?" Natsu paused and looked around, finally seeing the woman's jeep parked across the lot.

Igneel hummed and sipped the coffee he'd gotten from the break room since Natsu seemed to have taken his tea permanently. "It is Wednesday," he said, shrugging.

His son usually had Wednesday's and the occasional Sunday off, especially now that summer was starting to settle in and the town's annual softball tournament was about to kick off. Natsu liked to use that free time to get some extra sleep and go fishing too, which was why he wasn't on call those nights except for extreme cases. Igneel didn't know much about veterinary care, but he could figure that the dog and pups must have been through something serious if their owner called straight to Natsu on his night off.

Natsu blinked as if he was just realizing what day it was and reached for another doughnut before Igneel smacked his hand away. He'd only brought twelve and with the way his son was inhaling them, Igneel would be lucky if it would be an even split.

"Hey!" Natsu said, rubbing his hand with a small pout.

Igneel chuckled and took the largest doughnut. "Don't be like that, Natsu. I brought these for me and I already gave you my tea," he said, nodding to the large thermos in his son's hands.

Natsu rolled his eyes but waited for Igneel to take another doughnut before quickly snatching his fourth. "Yeah, well I'm starved. Didn't get to eat much last night before I had to deal with Plue."

"About that. Why are you here?"

Natsu quickly told him what had happened the night before with the dog and pups, somehow managing to look and sound somewhat excited despite the way he still paused to yawn every so often. It wasn't too often Natsu or Lisanna got such extreme cases so when someone's pet had something serious both vets couldn't help but get a bit thrilled over the rush. Most people took good care of their pets in town and aside from any special cases brought in from other clinics and wild animals needing rehabilitating the life of a small town vet was limited to mostly spays and neuters. As Natsu rambled Igneel took particular notice of the way his son went off on a little tangent about the owner, Lucy, and her son Haru for about five minutes. Twice. "How long were you up with Plue?" Igneel asked when his son let out another loud yawn.

Natsu shrugged. "Most of the night. I wanted to make sure it didn't happen again."

"It's a good thing you were there. Same thing happened to one of Jura's cows last year. Lost the calf and the mom." Igneel still remembered the way his old friend had looked when he had stopped by to help Jura bury the two animals on a nice spot on his land. Jura was quiet and humble about his job as a beef cattle farmer but he'd always cared deeply for his animals and Igneel had only need to take one look to know his friend was very upset over losing his cow and the calf. Grandeeney had baked Jura two large casseroles and an apple pie from scratch that she'd sent over while Igneel had simply handed his friend a cooled six pack and sat with him on the back porch afterwards. He couldn't imagine how awful something like that would be for a family pet.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, I remember that. Lisanna felt pretty bad for a few weeks afterwards. I just wish I'd been there to help her. Beef cows are pretty wild without the added stress of a calf stuck halfway out." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm just glad it wasn't too late when Lucy called. Might not have heard the phone I was so tired."

Igneel hummed. "If you're so tired, boy, head home. Lisanna can watch Plue for the day."

Natsu nodded but made no move to get up. "Yeah, okay. I just need to call Luce first. Let her know things went fine."

Igneel smirked around his cup of coffee as he watched a flock of geese lazily fly by. It wasn't often his boy gave people nicknames, something he reserved for only his closest friends, but this Lucy lady must have made quite the impression on Natsu for him to call her anything else so soon. Suddenly Igneel was a little more curious about meeting this new lady in town if she'd managed to become so close with his son in such short time. His wife would be even more eager too, once Igneel told her this. "I take it this is the same lady and boy you've been spendin' breakfast with, eh?"

Natsu choked on his fifth doughnut and Igneel gave him a hardy slap on his back. Boy never was very good at eating and talking at the same time without choking. "W-what?! Where the hell'd you hear that?" he gasped, rubbing his chest slightly.

Igneel barked out a loud laugh as he snagged the last doughnut from the bag. Seven to five was pretty fair. "Gildarts stopped by the other day for a bit. He mentioned how you had a new _lady friend_ ," he said, waggling his bushy red eyebrows and nudging his son's side. "And Juvia was talkin' up a storm to your ma at work. Somethin' about you and a pretty blond makin' lovey eyes at each other over breakfast."

Natsu shoved him off, the tips of his ears now bright red. "It ain't like that! Lucy's just a friend that I like talkin' to and Haru's her boy. And whatever Juvia and Gildarts said ain't true! One's a gossip machine and the other's a perv." He smiled at Igneel and downed the last of his tea. "You'd like 'em though," he said.

From what his son had said, Igneel didn't doubt it. Natsu may have been a people person in general but he rarely talked with so much excitement, and perhaps even admiration, for someone unless he was very fond of them. Igneel nodded and slid from the truck's bed, pushing the tip of his cane in the gravel to help steady himself. Despite his age, the man was still quite fit, even with the fact he had to use a cane to get around now. A feat that likely had a lot to do with being a fire fighter up until a few years ago and the fact that his wife made sure he ate a healthy diet _daily_ (with the occasional homemade doughnut). His only fault in marrying a doctor was the lack of junk food allowed in the house but that may have just been Grandeeney. Mavis knew her mother was ten times worse. He took back his thermos and handed Natsu his now empty cup, ignoring his son's squawk for him to 'carry his own trash' before turning to head back to his car.

"Well, invite them over for the game Sunday," he called over his shoulder. "I'm sure they'll have fun. And your ma will love to meet this _friend_ of yours."

Igneel grinned when he heard Natsu groan. "What did Juvia tell mom?! She better not bother Lucy. Old man? Hey!"

Igneel was still laughing when he pulled from the parking lot.

Natsu sighed as he watched his father drive off. He really was tired but he needed to talk to Lisanna and Lucy first. After gathering up the trash and heading back inside, Natsu found Lisanna and briefed her on Plue's condition. She was doing very well, much to Natsu's relief, and was eating and giving attention to her pups like any good mom would. Lisanna had cooed softly over her and the pups, assuring him she would make Plue her main focus throughout the day. Really, they couldn't have been in better hands. Lisanna may have been more of a cat person, but she certainly loved all animals. And it may have helped that Plue's pups were damn near the cutest things Natsu had ever seen.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about her, Natsu," she said as they walked to the front door. "She's doing good. Vitals all fine and she's as active as you'd expect a new mom to be."

"I know. Just want to be sure, you know? Prolapsed uterus' can be pretty serious."

She nodded as she moved behind the front counter to rifle through a few papers on the surgeries scheduled for the day. "It usually doesn't happen again but I'll make sure to keep an eye on her."

Natsu nodded and pulled his keys from his pocket. "Call me if anything changes, okay Lis?"

She waved him off with a soft smile. "Sure, sure. Will do."

He left her with a less than enthusiastic wave over his shoulder and hopped in his truck. He thought about simply calling Lucy and just heading home to sleep but hesitated. It was almost eight so she was likely at work already, and Natsu knew she tended to keep her phone on her when she worked, even if it was on vibrate, so really calling her would probably be the best option. Knowing how upset she and Haru had been though, Natsu wanted to talk with them in person too. It was easier to reassure someone while with them that things would be okay than over the phone anyway. In the end, it was Natsu's grumbling stomach that decided for him. Never mind the fact that he was also a bit eager to see Lucy and Haru. At least Sabretooth was in the general direction of his house anyway.

He pulled into the bar and grill's parking lot not long after it had opened, immediately looking for Lucy's blue pickup but didn't see it. Figuring he'd might as well get breakfast while he was there, Natsu sighed as he slid from his truck and made his way to the restaurant. He chose to eat inside that day, sitting at a small booth near one of the large windows in the back. Breakfast was decidedly a lot less entertaining without Lucy and Haru, and Natsu found himself slowly picking his way through his eggs when Yukino appeared next to him.

"Natsu!" she said. "I didn't even see you come in. How are you?"

He smiled. "Fine. Just getting somethin' to eat before I head home."

She nodded and Natsu quickly jumped to his feet when she started to slowly ease herself into the seat across from him. She gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you. I swear, I'm ready to pull this kid out myself at this rate. I feel like I can barely move."

Natsu nodded, knowing how uncomfortable the last months of pregnancy could be. And Yukino was especially far along. "He's due any day now, right?"

Yukino hummed and rubbed her stomach. "Yes. And I wish he'd hurry up." She huffed and glared down at her stomach (which may have been shoved against the table to the point where Natsu was starting to wonder if he should try to pull it back a little). "Honestly, it took me _ten minutes_ to roll over and get my phone from the night stand and call Sting to help me sit up this morning." She shook her head, "That's not normal…"

Natsu laughed and didn't bother protesting when Yukino reached over to take his bowl of fruit. "Well, at this point there isn't much else you can do other than wait."

Yukino sighed as she popped a raspberry in her mouth. "Yeah. That's what the doctors said too. You know, Sting actually looked up what the record for the longest pregnancy is? I swear, if that man tries to put our child's name in the world record book for _this_ I'll be livid."

Natsu laughed. "Well…to be fair, I think it would be _your_ name that makes the page."

Yukino glared. "If I could move, I'd smack you upside the head."

Natsu held up his hands in surrender but couldn't stop his snickers. They sat there in silence for a moment, both picking at their food before Natsu tried to casually ask, "So…I take it Lucy's not working today?"

Yukino smiled sweetly. "She might. She called me this morning and told me what happened with Plue last night. I told her to come in later if she wanted but it wasn't necessary. She seemed pretty shaken."

"Oh…"

Yukino eyed him closely as she attempted to lean forward and rest her elbows on the table, eventually giving up and slumping back against the cushions. "I know it's just you're job, Natsu, and that you would've been there for anyone if they'd called, but I really am happy you were there for Lucy last night. Handling stuff like that hasn't always been easy for her and I'm glad she had a good friend with her."

Natsu nodded, not sure of what to say. He'd known Lucy was stressed and more than a little scared about what happened with Plue but he hadn't truly thought his presence really mattered. In a personal sense anyway. He'd figured she would've been just as relieved to see Lisanna. Of course, he'd _wanted_ to be there for her, and Haru if he'd been up, but the way Yukino made it sound was as if Lucy had also wanted Natsu there, _specifically_. And not just because he was the vet.

The thought made his chest swell with a warmth that he couldn't name but was starting to associate with Lucy and Haru.

Yukino giggled and placed a hand over his. "I just wanted you to know that I'm glad _you_ were there for her and Haru. That they can depend on you in more ways than one."

Before Natsu could think of anything to say, Yukino motioned for him to help her up and promptly disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Natsu feeling a little confused and with a slightly warmer than normal face. He finished the rest of his breakfast rather quickly before leaving and making the drive back into town to Lucy's.

A few minutes later, Natsu pulled up in front of the small, yellow cottage, fingers a little jittery with nerves as he turned off the truck. He stretched his arms over his head before making his way up the stone trail to the front door. The two front windows were open slightly, letting in the fresh, summer air while there was still a cool breeze. As he walked up to the porch he could hear the sound of old classical music playing softly from somewhere in the house. He was just about to knock when the door opened and Lucy nearly walked into him. He chuckled. This was definitely a habit now.

"Oh! Natsu!" she gasped.

Even though she was barefoot, dressed in old sweats with some holes at the knees and a blue tank top that was a few sizes too large, Natsu noted again how attractive Lucy was. But today, it struck him that he liked this look on her just as much as when she dressed in her frilly blouses at work. She had a kind of beauty that had more to do with her openness towards others rather than traditional good looks. It made her seem so… _real_ , and Natsu thought she could catch the eye of a hurricane in jeans and a t-shirt without even trying.

He grinned and gave a small wave. "Hey! Was just on my way home and thought I'd swing by to tell ya how Plue is."

"O-oh! Well, do you want to come in? I just put a pot of tea on so it should be ready soon."

"Sure thing, Luce."

She grabbed the mail from the box by the door before stepping aside and Natsu followed her into the house to the kitchen in the back. She didn't even try to tame her hair or fix the wrinkles in her sweats. Something Natsu found very charming. "It's funny you showed up," she said as she pulled another cup from the cabinet over the counter. "I was just thinking about calling you."

Natsu raised an eyebrow as he settled in the chair by the table. "You were? What for?"

She chuckled and moved about the kitchen to get the honey and milk ready. "I told you last night I'd call you before Haru and I stopped by the hospital. Don't you remember?"

Oh. Yeah she did say something about going to the hospital today. He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh. Sorry. Everything was so crazy last night I think I forgot half of it."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she poured two cups before handing one to Natsu. "Well, I'm glad you stopped by. I hope things went well…?"

Natsu nodded. "Plue's doin' fine. So are the pups. Cute as bugs, really! And hungry little guys too, so you'll have your hands full when they're bigger."

"You're sure she's fine?"

He nodded and added a bit of honey to the warm tea. "Yeah. I did an x-ray and there was no indication for internal bleeding and everything was where it was 'posed to be. Once she got some fluids in her she got a lot of her strength back. She could probably come home later today, but I want to keep her another night, if that's ok."

Lucy nodded with a relieved sigh. "Of course. Whatever you think is best."

Natsu only hummed at that and took a long gulp of his tea. It really was better than coffee. He watched Lucy as they sat in silence for a bit. She slowly sipped her tea, gaze drifting out the window occasionally. She looked tired and Natsu could easily tell she was still a bit jumpy from what happened yesterday. Which…didn't suit Lucy. She always seemed so strong and brave, able to smile no matter how trying her day had been. She was the first one to make sure Haru was cheerful along with everyone else she cared about. Natsu thought back to what Yukino had said about how she didn't handle situations like this well and how she'd behaved the first day they met when she'd lost track of Haru. Both times she'd overreacted? Well, maybe _overreacted_ wasn't the right word but was pretty close.

It made him wonder about how much of Lucy Heartfilia, the _real_ Lucy Heartfilia, he didn't know.

"Surprised you even own tea bags, Luce," he teased, hoping to pull her out of whatever somber mood she was in. He grinned, "Aren't ya all into coffee?"

Lucy huffed in an overdramatic way and crossed her arms. "I usually only drink tea when I'm stressed. It calms me down." She smirked and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table. "You know, I _could_ brew a quick pot for you. Add a shot of expresso, too."

Natsu wrinkled his nose. "Na. I was up most of the night watchin' Plue so I'd rather not be awake when I'm tryin' to sleep."

Lucy laughed and Natsu grinned. "So…would Haru and I still be able to see Plue today? He was pretty worried about her last night."

Natsu nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. Lisanna's watchin' her while I head home to crash for a bit, but you can head over anytime. But fair warning, she may be a little doped up on the sedatives I gave her to get the x-ray, but other than that she's perfectly fine." He paused for a moment to listen to the music playing. "Speaking of Haru, where is the kid?"

Lucy shook her head but a small smile curled her lips. "Still asleep. After you left he had a hard time falling back to sleep. I figured he'd be pretty tired after everything..."

"He okay? Ya want me to talk to him? Let him know things are good?" Natsu asked.

Lucy's smile softened. "Thank you, Natsu, but I'm sure he'll be okay once he sees Plue. Just some bad memories is all…" She trailed off and her gaze shifted out the window again. Natsu was trying to think of something to say when Lucy suddenly turned back to him, making Natsu jump in his seat. "I just want to thank you again, Natsu. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there. I-" She paused and closed her eyes to take a deep breath. "I'm glad you were with us."

Natsu felt heat rush to his neck and ears the same moment his heart flopped in his chest. He smiled softly and reached over to place his hand on Lucy's lying against the table. Her head jerked up as she blinked at him. "I'm glad I was there too, Lucy. And like I said last night, if ya ever need anything, whatever time, just call and I'll be there."

Lucy bit her lip but Natsu could see her eyes shine a bit brighter. Suddenly, he was reminded of what Yukino and his father had said about them becoming so close and his heart began to beat a tad faster. "I thought you forgot last night?" she said, a small smirk pulling her lips up on one side.

"I remember that part."

Lucy's cheeks flushed a bright red but she didn't look away. "Thank you Natsu. And, for what it's worth, if you ever need something you can call me too." She chuckled, "I don't know if I can promise _anytime_ , what with Haru and all, but I will certainly be there for you."

Natsu gave a mischievous grin and Lucy's kind smile quickly became one of concern. "Actually Luce, there was something I wanted to ask ya."

"Should I be worried," Lucy mumbled.

Natsu laughed. "Na. I think you'll like this. See, the town's got a little fundraiser for the library every summer where different stores and businesses support softball teams and there's a whole tournament. First game is this Sunday at three. The animal hospital and town's doctors are playing against city hall's team, so Erza'll be there with Reiki. It's at Hakobe Forrest, on the south side of the mountain, and people always cook out so there'll be plenty of food. It's by the park too so the kids can play. Haru would love it!"

He wasn't sure why he was trying so hard to convince Lucy to go. In all likelihood, she'd probably be happy to come, if only to spend time with her friends and family after what happened with Plue. But for some reason Natsu felt an almost desperate flare in his gut at wanting Lucy and Haru there. He blamed it on his father for saying his mother wanted to meet Lucy.

Lucy chuckled and shook her head. "Okay. We'll be there."

"Great!" Natsu paused and reached to rub the back of his neck only to realize he was still holding Lucy's hand. He quickly pulled away, standing in an attempt to hide the blush he could feel creeping over his nose. "So…I'll see ya around, Luce. Tell Haru I said hey, and if he has questions about Plue he can call me. But Lisanna will answer any questions you guys have just fine, too. She's watching her and the pups today for me. Ya'll can still call her to make sure she's expecting ya when you visit Plue, if ya want." He was rambling. What the hell?

Lucy raised an eyebrow as she stood. "You're leaving already?"

"Like I said, I'm bushed. But don't worry, I was planning on going back to check on Plue personally later."

Lucy nodded and led him to the door, standing in the doorway as he paused on the porch to spin around and give Lucy a bright grin. "See ya later Luce," he called. He took a couple steps back towards the steps and couldn't stop himself from saying, "Oh, and by the way. That outfit looks great."

It might have been a smooth line if he hadn't tripped over the last step into the flowerbed.

Lucy smiled softly as she watched Haru walk through the glass door into the animal hospital ahead of her. The stethoscope Natsu gave him hung proudly around his neck and he held his head high as he looked around the room. To most, he would look perfectly fine, confident even, but Lucy could tell he was nervous, and maybe a little sad, from the way his hands kept twisting his shirt occasionally. Lucy couldn't blame him. A vet clinic was very similar to a hospital and the whole situation with Plue was only bringing up bad memories for both of them. Lucy was just thankful Haru hadn't had to see the worse of it. But it didn't take a genius to know that something serious had to have happened for Plue to be taken away so suddenly, and Haru had always been rather perceptive for his age, even if he didn't always show it. He was like his father in that way.

Lucy tried to focus on the differences between this place and the hospital back in Crocus. While it still had the same sterile smell that all medical practices seemed to naturally carry, there was also the strong smell of pets and the sweeter smell of flowers that tended to flow over all of Magnolia. The wooden benches near the front windows were worn in places but not overly so and the cheerfully colored pillows had just enough of a tattered feel to them to remind Lucy of a well-loved home. Certainly much more preferred than the pristine, stiff chairs that offered no form of comfort in the hospital's waiting room.

Taking a deep breath, she followed Haru up to the front desk where the same receptionist from their first time here sat happily petting a cat with only three legs and one green eye on her lap. Another wonderful difference to the frantic nurses rushing about for all the emergency cases brought in alongside her husband. If Lucy remembered correctly her name was Millianna.

She looked up and smiled as they walked up, her usual cat eared headband almost lost in her wild, orange hair. "Oh, Mrs. Heartfilia! Lisanna said she was expecting you today. I gotta say, for dogs those puppies are certainly very cute. Everyone's been fawning over them all day."

Lucy smiled and Haru practically beamed. It was relieving news, to say the least. "So I've been told," Lucy said. "Actually, Haru and I were hoping to check on Plue and the puppies. And maybe talk to Lisanna if she's not too busy."

Millianna motioned to the near empty waiting room. "Not busy at all. Just take a seat and I'll let her know you're here."

Lisanna was out in just a few minutes and she happily led them back to the recovery room. "I see you've brought your stethoscope," she said to Haru.

He nodded, smiling wide but still twisting his shirt in his hands. He'd been unusually quiet all morning. "Yeah. It's so I can make sure Plue is okay."

Lisanna nodded sagely. "Of course. But you know Haru, Plue is doing _very_ well. Natsu stayed up with her all night and made her his special patient. And now she's my special patient, so she's been looked after real well."

Haru reached up to take Lucy's hand and she gave it a comforting squeeze. "…Mom said she's feeling good now and so are the puppies."

Lisanna nodded enthusiastically. She was a lot like Natsu in that way, and Lucy could feel herself and Haru relax the more Lisanna talked. "Oh she is! Quite the tough little dog you have there and she's such a wonderful mother! And those little puppies are _so_ cute." She glanced over and Haru and winked. "You're going to have a lot of fun playing with them when they're older."

Haru perked up at that but he still held Lucy's hand tightly as Lisanna opened the door to the recovery room.

"Now, Plue is still a little sleepy from the medications we gave her, so she may not be herself, but not to worry! She's doing just fine and you can still pet her. Just be careful, okay?" Lisanna said.

Haru nodded and took a deep breath. Lucy held his hand tightly and gave his back a reassuring pat. She'd explained how Plue might act different around them on the drive over. More tired and sloppy, maybe even a little drooly, but that it was perfectly normal and Haru didn't need to be scared. The moment they walked into the room, however, Plue gave a happy bark as she easily stood up in her cage, careful to mind the six wiggling bodies around her paws. She was still shivering, but other than her usual odd tick she looked perfectly fine. Perhaps not as energetic as usual but enough so that Lucy wasn't concerned as Plue whined until Lisanna opened her cage before trotting over to them.

Lucy smiled as Plue wove around her legs, tail wagging as she licked Lucy's hand's and Haru's face. Haru laughed and pulled Plue into a gentle hug, running his fingers through her thick fur. "Hey Plue. You're okay. I'm glad you're better," he murmured against her neck. Plue only huffed and wiggled in his grasp to lick his cheek, tail thumping against the ground enthusiastically.

"So am I," Lucy said, kneeling down to stroke Plue's head. "You had us worried, silly dog."

"She's doing a lot better than Natsu and I expected," Lisanna said from her spot by the cage. "The puppies are good too. I've given them a full checkup and they're all fine. One's a little smaller than the others but it's not uncommon for there to be a runt in a litter this size, and he's just as healthy as his brother and sisters."

"How many boys and girls are there?" Haru asked from his place next to Plue. He already had his stethoscope out and pressed to her chest but he looked up at Lisanna expectantly.

"Two boys and four girls." Lisanna looked down at the pups still wiggling about on the fluffy blanket lining the bottom. "They're still a little young to play with but you can pet them if you'd like, Haru."

Haru looked over to Lucy, waiting for her to nod before walking over to sit in front of the cage, Plue trotting right after him. Lisanna gave him some hand sanitizer before wrapping one of the larger pups in a soft towel and tucking it into Haru's waiting arms. He insisted on checking each puppy's heartbeat and with Lisanna's careful guidance he looked over each puppy. Checking their tiny ears and little, black noses. Plue didn't seem bothered one bit with Haru handling the pups so much, but she did keep a watchful eye on Haru and her own babies the whole time.

Lucy kneeled beside her son with Plue happily resting her head in her lap until her puppies whining became enough to pull her back into the cage. It was only then that she noticed Haru's pillow was propped up against the side of the cage, away from the puppies enough to not accidently get dirty but close enough for Plue to lean against. She smiled at the thought of Natsu making sure to keep Haru's treasured pillow somewhere relatively clean but still kept his promise. Haru also noticed his pillow and fluffed it up before Plue settled against it with a deep huff.

Lisanna went on about Plue's condition and what Lucy would have to do when she took her and the puppies home. It was mostly the same stuff Natsu had told her but Lucy found it calming to hear again. "Honestly, I'd be fine with letting you take them home today but another night here won't hurt," Lisanna added.

Lucy nodded. "I talked to Natsu this morning and he said something similar. He thinks it would be best to keep them here for another night, though. Just in case."

Lisanna nodded. "That's fine. I'm on call tonight but I'll give Natsu a call later to see what he thinks."

"He's at home taking a nap now," Lucy said and instantly felt her cheeks heat up for saying anything. She could imagine a number of ways that could sound, most of which involved memories of her saying something similar about another man back in Crocus. Lisanna only raised an eyebrow but Lucy felt her blush begin spreading so she quickly cleared her throat and added, "A-at least, that's what he told me when he stopped by earlier."

Lisanna only hummed as she helped Haru put the last puppy away and closed the door to the cage. Plue was already nudging the pups closer to her side, encouraging them to nurse with gentle licks and soft whines.

"She's a good mom," Haru said, crossing his arms and nodding.

Lucy smiled and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, she is."

"And the puppies all have very strong hearts. I checked them all and counted like Natsu said."

Lucy leaned over to kiss the top of his head. "I'm sure Plue is very happy you were able to check her puppies for her."

Haru snickered and reached through the bars to scratch behind Plue's ears. Lucy started to stand when Haru reached out and grabbed her shirt. "Mom? Can we stay a little longer? Until Plue falls asleep?"

Lucy glanced over at Lisanna who only smiled and shrugged. "It's fine with me. We're not too busy today anyway. Stay as long as you'd like." With that she quickly left the room, no doubt hurrying to her next patient for the day.

With a sigh Lucy settled down next to the cage, reaching a hand through the cage bars to pat Plue's head. She still looked tired, though whether that was from the drugs still in her system or the extra effort needed to care for six pups Lucy wasn't sure. "You're a good dog," Lucy murmured, earning a lazy thump of her dog's tail.

Haru shuffled over to press himself against Lucy's side. He held his stethoscope tightly in his hand, occasionally reaching through the bars to place it on Plue's forehead or nose. Lucy wrapped her free arm around him and pulled him a little closer. They were both quiet for a while until Haru whispered, "We should name the puppies."

Lucy smirked. "I'm pretty sure we're supposed to let their future owners do that, Haru."

"But I already have some _really_ good names," he whined.

He listed off several names in a hushed whisper ranging from Yelper to Canis Major and Lucy could only smile and breathe a sigh of relief that they'd managed to get past this latest obstacle. Lucy could quietly admit that she was still a bit shaken and she had no doubt that Haru would likely ask to sleep with her for the next few nights, but it would help to have Plue home so soon. Perhaps she'd ask Natsu to talk with Haru after all. While he didn't seem as upset as he was yesterday, Lucy figured he'd feel a bit better after talking with Natsu.

As it turned out, talking with Natsu did help Haru calm down enough to not need to sleep in Lucy's bed for more than a one night. Instead, Lucy focused their attention to fixing up the room down stairs for Plue and the puppies. Natsu had explained that the puppies would likely need to be contained in a small area with newspaper and old towels lining the floor for them to go to the bathroom on, given they wouldn't be house trained for the next few months. Haru was more than happy to help prop up some boards around the room to keep the puppies contained, even drawing pretty pictures on them to make the room look a bit more 'homey', as he'd put it. By the time Plue came home the next day, Lucy and Haru may have gone a tad overboard with all the soft bedding and new toys placed around the old potting room.

At least, that was what Natsu said when he brought Plue and the pups over.

Despite the hectic start to the week, the rest of the time was fairly peaceful. The lull in any activities until the weekend was a much needed break for both Haru and Lucy, but Haru had seemed more and more restless the closer they got to Sunday. Lucy had told him about the baseball game after Plue was settled in their home once again, and he had been eager to spend some time with Reiki and Emma at the playground. Which was why Lucy wasn't _too_ surprised when Haru and Reiki had the idea to have a sleep over Saturday night when the Fernandez's were over visiting the puppies Friday evening. Still a bit shocked, though.

Lucy blinked down at them and a quick glance over to Erza told her she was caught off guard with the request too.

"A sleepover?" Lucy asked.

Haru grinned and nodded while Reiki gave a polite smile beside him. "Yeah! Me and Reiki were thinking of a _really cool_ game we could play at the park tomorrow, but we gotta get some stuff ready at his house."

"What sort of stuff?" Erza asked, leaning over across the kitchen table to get a better look at the boys.

At Erza's question Haru pursed his lips together and gripped his shirt. Reiki, however, didn't look a bit nervous as he easily said, "We wanna play knights and dragons with your costumes, mom."

Haru nodded excitedly, grin stretching to once again cover his whole face, but Lucy took particular interest in his little hands still twisting his shirt around and around. "Yeah. Emma said she was gonna be there too and she was gonna dress up as a princess. And we _have to_ have a knight and a dragon!"

"Ah," Erza hummed, leaning back in her seat. "I see. Well, if it's alright with Lucy, I don't mind."

"Umm…"

At her baffled look Reiki gave a polite smile and grabbed Haru's arm. "We'll give you some time to talk it over," he said and pulled Haru to the back door to go play in the garden.

Lucy blinked after them. It still threw her for a loop whenever Reiki said something so…mature.

"So, Lucy," Erza said. "What do you think?"

Lucy pursed her lips. "They seem a bit young for a sleepover, don't you think?"

Erza chuckled. "They're seven. My Reiki has had several sleepovers with Emma and a few with Laxus and Mirajane's kids. It's nothing they can't handle." At Lucy's small frown Erza smiled and reached over to pat her hand. "If you're concerned about Jellal and I watching Haru I can assure you that he will be well looked after."

"Oh no!" Lucy gasped. "I'm not worried about that, it's just that this will be the first sleepover Haru's had and I guess I'm a little worried is all." She chuckled, "I suppose that I thought I'd get a bit more time to think it over. But I'm sure he will be fine with you."

Erza nodded in understanding. "I suppose I was a bit worried when Reiki spent his first night away from home too."

Lucy sighed and took a sip of her tea. Being seven, Haru was around the age that most children had their first sleepovers. And it wasn't as though he'd be staying with someone Lucy barely knew. While she hadn't met Jellal yet, Lucy trusted Erza completely and it wasn't as though Haru had never had sleepovers. He'd just always done them Lucy and his father with him. But she supposed something like this was bound to happen sooner than later. Especially with how close he and Reiki had become.

"I think a sleepover is a wonderful idea. Just make sure you call me if anything happens, no matter how small."

Erza chuckled. "Of course."

Haru bounced in his seat as his mom drove them to Reiki's house. He'd been over a lot since he and Reiki became best friends, and sometimes Reiki came over to play at his house, especially with the puppies (but only to pet cause they were still too little to really play with) but this was the first time he would spend all night there. Without his mom too.

"You know Haru," his mom said. "If you want to come back home any time, that's fine. You can ask Reiki's mom or dad and they will call me and I will come get you, okay?"

"Okay," he said.

"And Mrs. Erza assured me that if you need her in the middle of the night, she has no problem with you waking her up."

"Okay," he said. He wasn't so sure why his mom was acting so weird. Haru wasn't scared to spend the night without her. Kind of. Maybe he could call her before he and Reiki fell asleep. He could do that right? Just a quick call so she could say goodnight. Maybe read him a bedtime story over the phone. Yeah, that would be okay. Besides, he and Reiki needed to get a lot of stuff together before hunting that dragon tomorrow at the park. At least this way they could get everything ready without having to tell their secret plan to their moms. They'd find that dragon for sure!

When they pulled up in front of Reiki's house Haru's mom turned to him one last time and ran a hand through his hair. She smiled softly and Haru couldn't stop his own grin. "Are you sure you want to do this, sweetie? I know this is your first time and it's okay if you change your mind. I'm sure Reiki will understand."

Haru sighed and bounced a little in his seat, the special treasures in his tin box he'd been collecting rattling in his backpack. "No. I _want_ to do this. Me and Reiki are gonna play a lot of games and he said we could watch the Ten Wizard Saints movie too! It's gonna be fun!"

His mom chuckled and moved to open her door. "Well, then how could I possibly argue with the Ten Wizard Saints?"

Haru laughed as he followed her up to the front door which was already opening as Reiki hurried out to tug Haru in side. "Haru! You got here just in time. My mom said we could make a cake but we have to choose what kind we want before dinner. Hello Mrs. Heartfilia," he added, looking back at Haru's mom.

She smiled as she trailed after them into the kitchen with Haru's duffle bag. "Hello Reiki. Is your mom around?"

Reiki nodded and pointed to the back door. "She's getting strawberries for the cake."

Haru watched as his mom walked over to the back door, setting his bag on the couch with a quick look his way that Haru knew meant 'be good'. Reiki softly tugged his sleeve to get his attention. "My mom likes strawberries on her cake, if that's okay? But she said we could choose what flavor to make it. We have vanilla and chocolate and blueberry. You're the guest so it's up to you."

Haru grinned. They were going to have a lot of fun tonight.

His mom left not long after, telling Haru again that he could call if he needed her for anything. Haru promised he would, if only to make his mom let go of him at the door. Once she had driven away Reiki turned to Haru and asked what he wanted to do.

Haru leaned over to whisper in Reiki's ear, "Let's get the dragon costume. And the really cool knight one."

Reiki nodded and called over to his mom who was working on the chocolate cake that he and Haru were going to play in the attic. Mrs. Erza nodded and told them to make sure they washed up before dinner. It didn't take long for Haru and Reiki to pull out the dragon costume and the parts of the angel knight that Reiki could fit in. "How are we going to get these to the park tomorrow?" Haru asked while scratching his head.

Reiki smirked. "I have a backpack we can use and my mom already showed me how to fold up the costumes so they're easier to carry." He paused to tap his chin as he looked over the breast plate, metal arm bands, helmet and sword from the knight costume. "I don't think we can take all of the knight costume, though," he said.

Haru nodded. "Then what parts should we take?"

"The helmet, arm bands and sword. I'll wear my knight shirt tomorrow too, just in case."

Haru grinned and threw his arm around Reiki's shoulder. "This is perfect, Reiki! We're gonna find that dragon tomorrow for sure!"

Reiki gave him a soft smile before turning to fold up the dragon costume. "Emma said she would wear her princess costume to help us."

"Cool! And I brought my secret weapon," Haru said proudly.

Reiki paused to raise an eyebrow at him. "A weapon? I thought we weren't gonna hurt the dragon."

Haru shook his head as he dug around in his backpack. "No, not _that_ kind of weapon. A _secret_ weapon." He pulled out his tin box and carefully opened the lid. Inside was the snake skin and fairy soldiers like always but he'd added his stethoscope and some pretty rocks he'd found in the garden. His collection of treasures was getting very big and cool. Haru bet the dragon would think they were cool. That was why he'd brought them. But tucked away at the very bottom was his secret weapon. Haru pulled it out with a loud 'aha' and held it out for Reiki to see. "Here it is!" he cried, making Reiki jump as he leaned over to get a better look at…

"Anchovies?" Reiki said, wrinkling his nose at the small tin box.

"Yeah! I know dragons like fish so I…uh… _borrowed_ these from my uncle."

Reiki smirked. "Borrowed, huh?"

Haru huffed and tried not to look too guilty. He didn't ask his uncle if he could borrow the fish and he knew that was wrong but this was, like, a _secret_ mission, almost. He couldn't tell everyone that he, Reiki and Emma were gonna look for a dragon cause then everyone might try to find him too. And then Haru wouldn't get his wish! Cause everyone knew that a dragon only gave one wish _ever_ , and Haru didn't want someone else to take his wish.

"Anyways," he said, "are you almost done with the dragon?"

Reiki only hummed as he expertly folded the dragon's tail and then carefully stuffed it in his own backpack. "There. All done," he sighed and sat back on his heals. "Want to play a game now?" he asked.

Haru nodded and after locking up the trunks they settled on playing in Reiki's room with his Ten Wizard Saints toys until Mrs. Erza called them down for dinner. Rushing down the steps, Haru and Reiki ran into the kitchen just as Mrs. Erza placed a big bowl of mac and cheese on the table next to the hot dogs and fries. The three of them sat around the table eating while Reiki's mom said something about Reiki's dad coming back later that night but Haru wasn't really listening as he tried to sneak his broccoli onto Reiki's plate. He'd already gotten eight pieces on it, he was _that_ sneaky.

"Like a ninja," he whispered to himself and snickered when Reiki looked over at him.

It didn't take long for them to make up a new game where they had to sneak food onto each other's plates while taking some away too. It was fun and Haru was pretty sure he was winning when Reiki's mom politely told them to finish their _own_ food. He and Reiki made sure to clean their plates and then they were off to Reiki's room to change into their pajamas and brush their teeth.

"'Ou know wad we soot do?" Haru said, talking around his tooth brush still stuck in his mouth. They were both crowded around the bathroom sink on the small stool Reiki used when Haru had his awesome idea.

"Wat?" Reiki asked, his own tooth brush still in his mouth too.

"Wee soot mak a ford. To watch da moovie."

Reiki nodded and spit out his tooth paste before washing his tongue. "Otay," he said.

Haru grinned, or tried to with his toothbrush still in his mouth, and quickly finished brushing his teeth. When they were all dressed for bed they hurried downstairs where Mrs. Erza was setting up the movie and they both practically begged her if they could build a fort to watch the movie in. Well, Haru begged. Reiki just waited for him to pause before asking his mom if it was okay. Mrs. Erza smiled and told them it was fine, even allowing them to sleep in the fort if they wanted.

They spread a sheet over the back of the couch to two of the tall chairs from the kitchen counter they'd dragged over to make the roof. Reiki had the great idea to stuff the sides with pillows to make a wall while Haru laid out his and Reiki's sleeping bags with their own pillows underneath. It was perfect and they could easily sit back and watch the movie against the couch. There was even enough room for Reiki's mom to watch the movie with them.

Haru was trying to shove his green pillow against the couch in the perfect way when Reiki crawled into their fort with a big glass jar. "Want to help me get the night light?" he asked, waving the empty jar in front of Haru's nose.

Haru frowned and looked the jar over. "Uh…it's empty. There's not light in it, Reiki."

Reiki chuckled and shook his head. "That's cause we haven't caught it yet. Here," he grabbed Haru's arm and tugged him out from under the fort and out the back glass doors.

Nighttime had just started and Haru and Reiki quickly raced about the back yard before they were called in by Mrs. Erza. They grabbed as many fireflies as they could, though Haru quickly learned that he needed to carefully cup his hands around the blinking bugs, otherwise he'd have just a bunch of glowing goo on his fingers from smashing them. Between the two of them it didn't take long to fill up the jar. Haru giggled as he rushed back to Reiki's side with two fireflies clasped firmly in his hands just as his best friend was slipping in three of his own.

"This is so cool!" he said, crouching down next to Reiki. "I've never done this before."

Reiki looked up at him and blinked. "You haven't?"

Haru shook his head. "Nope. There weren't a lot of fireflies in Crocus. And when me, my mom and my dad went camping we always stayed in a cabin when it got dark out, but we would watch them by the fire sometimes and my dad would try to make a _really big_ smore for me and my mom." He snickered and brought his hands up to his eye to peek between his fingers at the glowing bugs. "One time a firefly flew into the smore and my dad pretended to eat it. He stuck his tongue out and it was glowing but when I tried to do it too, cause it looked cool and funny, my mom said it was just a trick and my dad had eaten some special candy that made your tongue glow. I still thought it was funny."

That was one of Haru's favorite things about his dad. He was always so funny and cool and did silly things to make Haru and his mom laugh. Haru laughed at his story and Reiki chuckled too. It made a warm feeling in his chest to tell a story about his dad to his best friend. It was…nice. He grinned as one of the fireflies crawled slowly up his arm, snagging it at his elbow before it could fly away. "My dad would call them lightening bugs, though. It was weird."

Reiki nodded. "My dad calls them lightening bugs too. My mom says he thinks they're called that cause he grew up up north. She says he's wrong."

Haru giggled. "Yeah. My mom said my dad was wrong too." He paused to catch another firefly in the thick flower bushes by the back fence. They seemed to like it there best. "This is fun though," he said.

Reiki smiled. "Me and my dad do this a lot in the summer. He lets me keep them in my room some nights. But he always has me let them go the next morning."

Haru nodded, not sure what to say as the warm feeling started to go away. His dad used to let him do fun stuff too. Like let him pick the prettiest leaf in the park every week they went to add to his collection. Or let him leave his window open a crack so he could hear the baby birds chirp in the nest just outside. Or let him use his special work pencils for Haru's drawings cause they were really, _really_ black and Haru liked how they felt on paper. Or let him hang off his arm while his dad reached way up over his head so Haru couldn't touch the ground cause his dad was that strong. Or let him wear his favorite sunglasses because Haru wanted to look like him. And a lot of other fun stuff. Hearing about what Reiki did with his dad made Haru's stomach feel bad and his chest hurt a bit. He reached out and started twisting his shirt in his hands.

 _Just one more day. And then I'll have my wish and dad will be back._

That's what Haru told himself as he, Reiki and Mrs. Erza settled in the fort to watch the movie. Haru slumped against Reiki's side, not really as excited about the movie but trying to watch it anyway. They were half way through the movie when Reiki's dad walked in. Reiki's mom paused the movie and as she and Reiki crowded around him Haru lingered back a bit, not sure what to do or say. He watched as Mr. Jellal ruffled Reiki's hair and told them a joke and called Mrs. Erza princess (something that Haru's dad used to do too) and then Reiki was by Haru's side again. Smiling as he introduced Haru to his dad and Haru smiled and said hello but when Mr. Jellal shook his hand with a soft smile and said, "The pleasure is all mine," Haru remembered that was how his dad said hello to new people too and he tugged at his shirt real hard.

He asked Mrs. Erza if he could call his mom and a little later he was sitting on the tall kitchen chair, tugging at his shirt with one hand while he listened to his mom tell him a bed time story. It was nice but it made Haru wish she was there to hold him.

It made Haru wish his dad was there to hold him.

As soon as Lucy dropped off Haru she knew she couldn't go home. She was too nervous on Haru's behalf to sit at home, and if she was honest she wanted a chance to relax in town without having to watch Haru.

It wasn't too late, only around six, and Lucy decided she'd try one of the few restaurants she'd never been to. Driving along the main road she found a parking spot across the canal and set about walking down the sidewalk. She made sure to put her phone on its highest volume and made a mental note to check it often that evening but for the most part Lucy tried to just relax and enjoy her brief free time.

She passed by several restaurants, none of which looked particularly appealing. It wasn't until she came across a large building with a steeply sloped roof and the words Fairy Tail etched across the front door that she paused. Lucy could hear the faint sounds of laughter and people singing from what she assumed to be some sort of fish grill, if the wonderful smell was anything to go by. The place must have been new since Lucy hadn't heard of it before, and she was sure she would have remembered it, given the place was clearly very popular.

"Oh, why not," she sighed, and quickly made her way up the front steps.

Inside, the place was wonderfully open and bright. High, arched ceilings, tall windows on three sides and wide open tables neatly lined the floor in a way that made Lucy realize how cramped Sabretooth really was. The place smelled of wood and spice and Lucy's mouth watered when the kitchen doors opened for a waitress to walk out carrying a tray piled high with crab legs and grilled fish. The tables sat down in a lower level of the room where there was just enough space for a small dance floor to the left, with the booths lining the walls on the same level Lucy stood, separating the busier tables from the quieter booths while still keeping the place open. Music drifted down from the speakers hanging from the ceiling and seemed to be connected to the huge jukebox in the corner where a group of teenagers had taken the liberty of flipping to a new song every few minutes.

Across from the front door was a long bar twice as big as Sabretooth's with enough alcohol to fill the whole back wall. Most of the bar stools were full but Lucy thought she saw Cana sitting near the end talking with a pretty woman with long white hair and wearing a simple red sundress. It took a moment for Lucy to realize it was Mirajane Struss-Dreyar. Lucy had met her a few times, always whenever she and Haru stopped by Mira's store, Struss Free Bakery, and the woman was always polite and happy to dote on Haru by slipping him a few extra treats whenever she thought Lucy wasn't looking. After her second time in the store Lucy had left with a box of twelve doughnuts, a _very_ sticky faced Haru and the promise that she would call Mira that afternoon to talk about getting together for tea as soon as they could manage.

Lucy wouldn't use the word pushy to describe Mira but the woman had an uncanny way of always getting what she wanted without making anyone feel put out, no matter what her request was. She would simply smile sweetly, offer a few kind words and boom! Someone would walk out of the store with ten doughnuts more than they'd wanted.

" _Mind the southern belles, dear. They are so sweet they'd talk a pepper out of their spice."_ That was what her grandma had said and while Lucy still wasn't sure exactly what that meant she couldn't think of a better way to describe Mira.

She watched as a tall, blond man with a wide chest walked over behind the counter and passed them their drinks. From the thick scar across his right eye and the deep frown on his face Lucy guessed he was Mira's husband. The guy looked more prone to cutting lumber than cleaning glasses behind a bar but from what Mira had told her Lucy knew his bark was almost always worse than his bite. Given how gently he reached out to take Mira's hand Lucy would have to agree.

Lucy glanced around for a hostess or even a waitress to seat her but as a young couple walked in behind her they didn't even pause before heading to the closest empty table. "So…you seat yourself?" Lucy wondered. Seemed a bit odd but people seemed to enjoy the place enough.

Shrugging, Lucy walked down the steps to the lower level, figuring she could sit at the bar where at least there were several employees to take her order. Certainly Cana and Mira would be happy to talk for a while and Lucy always loved to hear about Cana's latest drunk story. Last week Lucy had nearly laughed herself sick as Cana told her about the time she'd been towing a trailer after having a few beers, as she'd put it, while some jerk behind her kept trying to pass. She'd cut him off five times before having to come to a red light and the man immediately jumped out of his car and rushed over to her window.

" _I thought I was gonna have to fight him, Lucy. And you_ know _I'd win,"_ she'd said with a wink.

Turned out the guy had only wanted to warn her that her trailer was on fire from a faulty break pad. She thanked him and promptly walked to the back of the trailer to put out the small fire with a can of beer.

Yes, another story like that would be just what Lucy needed to take her mind off of her worry over Haru. And _no one_ told a drunk story as well as Cana.

"Luce?"

Lucy stumbled to a halt and turned to see Natsu, of all people, sitting at a table with Lisanna and a man Lucy had never seen before. Natsu was already standing and walking over to her, a wide grin stretched over his face that somehow made his eyes seem a little brighter. Or maybe that was the overhead lighting. He was still in his scrub shirt but had changed into jeans and those same cowboy boots he often wore outside of his job.

"What are ya doin' here?" he asked. "I mean, I've never seen you come here before…"

"Natsu. Hey," she said, smiling as he paused in front of her. "I just stopped in to get something to eat. I've actually never been here before."

Natsu nodded. "Well you came on the perfect night. All Saturday's kids eat free."

"Oh, well actually, Haru's not with me." At that Natsu blinked and scanned the isle, turning in a half circle with a small pout that Lucy couldn't help but giggle at. "He's spending the night with Reiki and Erza," she explained. "I didn't feel like sitting at home by myself so I came here for dinner."

"Oh. Then I got nothin'."

Lucy laughed at that, clutching her stomach and tossing her head back when someone moved past her in the isle and bumped into her side. Lucy gasped and stumbled forward a few steps before Natsu's hands reached out to grasp her shoulders and steady her. Lucy glanced over her shoulder and gave a quick apology that the person may or may not have heard as they hurried towards the door.

Natsu chuckled. "I don't know if this is your way of fallin' for me, Luce, but ya may want to work on your balance anyway. Not that I mind."

Lucy froze as her mind flashed back to the first words her husband had ever said to her. _I think you just fell for me, princess_. It was eerily close to what Natsu had said and Lucy wasn't quite sure what to do. Luckily Natsu didn't seem to notice Lucy's momentary freak out as he simply helped her straighten up then hooked a thumb over his shoulder towards his table.

"Want to eat with us then? Since ya aren't with anyone, that is," he asked.

Lucy could barely manage a quick nod before stiffly following Natsu over to his table where Lisanna and the man were waiting as they sipped their drinks. Lisanna looked up and gave a bright smile and wave to Lucy, easily reaching out to guide her into her the empty spot next to her with a quick word about grabbing Lucy a drink. Lucy smiled and made a mental note to thank her later. As Natsu took up his seat across from her, Lucy looked over to the other man still sitting quietly at the table. For some reason he looked _very_ familiar. His dark blue eyes were sharp as they watched Lucy despite the droop to the lids that came from a hard day working. He nodded once in greeting, his black hair falling forward into his eyes from where it had been combed back and then it clicked.

Lucy gasped, "Oh my gosh. Gray?!"

Lucy couldn't believe how different Gray had become, no longer the gangly boy that was constantly yelling with his twin. He looked almost exactly like his father, minus the scar and graying hair. And maybe the smile too, but Lucy remained hopeful he was just tired.

Gray's eyes narrowed when she said his name before he seemed to recognize her and smirked. "Lucy. So you're the new city girl everyone's been talking about." He chuckled and shook his head. "Don't know why I didn't recognize you earlier. You look just like Layla."

"You too. I mean, you look like _your_ dad, obviously. Not my mom." She chuckled nervously but Gray only shorted out a soft snicker.

Natsu's eyes were wide and he glanced over at Gray in a way that Lucy thought looked almost nervous and maybe a little warning before turning back to Lucy with a grin. "I take it ya two know each other, Luce?" he asked.

"Kind of…" Lucy said, reaching up to tug at a loose strand of hair.

"Our parents knew each other but we didn't spend a lot of time together as kids," Gray said. He gave his already loose tie a few tugs and undid the top buttons on his shirt before taking a big swig of his beer. "Somethin' about your old man not liking me or Lyon," he said to Lucy with that same smirk.

Lucy smiled and nodded. "Sounds about right. I think his favorite term was 'hooligans'."

Gray snorted into his beer and Lucy smirked but Natsu was oddly quiet. She chanced a look at him and found him nervously tapping his fingers against the table. Why he suddenly seemed so anxious was beyond her but before she could say anything Lisanna came back with a cider and placed it in front of Lucy.

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I got what I normally get. I guess I should've asked if you were even drinking though," she said as she settled back in her seat.

Lucy waved off her concerns. "It's fine. I don't have Haru today and cider is okay. Though I typically like something a little stronger."

Lisanna smiled, "I'll remember for next time, then."

Lucy smiled softly at that and took a sip of her drink. It was a bit sourer than normal cider but still not as strong as what she preferred. Across from her, Natsu snorted and leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table. "Of course you'd like somethin' stronger. Given all the coffee ya drink I'll bet you can hardly taste anything."

Lucy frowned and reached over to flick his arm, studiously ignoring how hard his bicep was. "I'll have you know my taste is impeccable. Certainly not at risk of being _watered down_ like yours, what with all the tea you drink."

Lisanna giggled but at least had the courtesy to hide it behind her hand. Gray, on the other hand, had no qualms about laughing loudly in Natsu's ear.

Natsu ignored him to keep his eyes on Lucy's and smirked. "And yet I like you just fine."

Lucy felt her cheeks flush and couldn't seem to decide if she should look away or keep up there little impromptu staring contest. She settled on taking a long gulp of her cider instead.

Gray rolled his eyes and smacked the back of Natsu's head heard enough for it to fall forward and knock his nose against the tip of his own beer bottle. "It's too early for that, Ash Head," he muttered. Natsu, for his part, suddenly looked nervous again and spun to glare at Gray. Something that Gray fully returned with a challenging smirk.

Lucy raised an eyebrow at that and looked over at Lisanna who was already looking at her. "Umm…what was that about?" Lucy whispered.

Lisanna said nothing for a moment but then smiled softly and shook her head, taking a small sip from her bottle. "Oh, just Gray trying to cool Natsu down. I'm not sure about the rest yet."

Before Lucy could ask what that even met Gray smoothly stepped in to pull the conversation in something a bit more easy going (though Lucy still wasn't sure what made things so tense between him and Natsu in the first place). They all talked easily for the next few minutes about work and when Gray asked about some of Lucy's favorite science articles she'd written for Sorcerer Lucy spent a good ten minutes ranting about the intricate steps of a dying star before stuttering to a stop and apologizing for getting carried away. Lisanna had happily encouraged her to go on asked question after question with open interest.

Lucy would have normally felt a bit uncomfortable talking in such detail about something she knew most people didn't care about. And yet, Lucy somehow felt right at home with the three people around the table. It wasn't the same warm comfort of being with Erza and Levy, even after so many years, but a bit more energetic and bright. Like stepping into a summer rain versus watching it from a plush chair in a warm house.

Lucy said as much when Lisanna asked how it was living in Magnolia and Natsu had snickered and said, "Sure we're not too watered down for ya?" Which spurred on a new round of laughter from them all.

It wasn't until another waitress passed by that Lucy remembered she hadn't ordered yet. Huffing she crossed her arms and frowned. "When is the waitress going to be by anyway? You three have been waiting even longer than me!"

Natsu nodded and tapped his chin. "Yeah. I guess it's been long enough."

Gray shook his head before pulling over a small touch screen sitting between the salt and table sauce that Lucy hadn't even seen. "Lucy can go first and Flame Breath can go last, since he takes so long."

"Hey! It ain't my fault Dragneel's have healthy appetites," Natsu said.

"There's healthy appetites, and then there's _your_ appetite," Lisanna teased, already leaning over to help Lucy pull up the menu.

Lucy blinked at all the options, mostly sea food but there were some chicken options and even a fair amount of pasta. Now she realized why there weren't many waitresses, people could just walk in and sit wherever they wanted and would order food when they wanted themselves. Lucy had been to a few restaurants back in Crocus that had electronic menus at the table but she hadn't expected a place in small town _Magnolia_ to have that too.

She tapped on a grilled salmon topped with mushroom and tomato sauce and a side salad before passing the tablet over to Lisanna. "I didn't expect a place like this to be so…unique in how you order."

"Yeah," Natsu sighed. "It was Laxus' idea." He nodded towards the tall blond behind the bar that Lucy had seen before. "Guys always been into electronics. When he took over Fairy Tail after Gramps he added a bunch of new stuff." He shrugged and tried to snatch the tablet from Lisanna before Gray could get it but ended up with Gray's hand mushed in his face while he turned to enter his order in before Natsu.

"It was a good idea, too," Lisanna added. "Fairy Tail was already popular but the new techy stuff with the homey atmosphere made it really popular with the tourists." She giggled and winked at Lucy. "It also helps that the basement level has a deck area beside the canal. Lots of people like the romantic aspect of the place just as much as the lively part."

Natsu heaved a loud sigh when Gray passed him the tablet, tapping so many different options that Lucy started to consider telling him to slow down. Especially given over half his choices were deep-fried and from the "fire side" of the menu. It only took about twenty minutes to get their food and by then Lucy's stomach was growling loud enough it had Natsu laughing so hard he nearly spilled his drink several times. When Lucy took her first bite she nearly moaned. "Oh gosh. Don't tell Sting, but this is better than any fish he's ever made me."

"No promises," Gray said.

They continued to eat in a comfortable silence for a moment until Natsu huffed and leaned forward to jab his fork between Lucy and Gray. "I can't believe you two know each other. I mean, what the hell!"

Gray rolled his eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh. "Our _parents_ knew each other. Not like we were friends."

"Yeah. My father was a bit picky about the friends Sting and I made," Lucy added.

"I keep forgetting you grew up here," Lisanna said. "I mean, it's weird that we never met before. Magnolia's not very big and your mom was always so involved in different town functions."

Lucy sighed and nodded. "Well, Sting and I were home schooled when we were really young. And when we were in middle and high school we went to a private boarding school in Hargeon, which was year round board aside from the summer months. Really, we didn't spend much time in town at all."

"Sounds… _private_ ," Gray said.

Lucy shrugged. Really, it was pretty lonely. Aside from her brother, Lucy's only friends in town were Levy and Erza (who she mostly saw Friday evenings at ballet practice through the summer) and the few friends she'd had at school were more acquaintances than friends any way. Lucy never stayed in contact with them once school was let out and hadn't felt much need to. At least with Levy and Erza, Lucy would call and write when she was away. And there were the few sleepovers she was allowed to have with them during summer break (always at the plantation, of course).

Really, it was Sting who made it all so bearable and Mavis knew they were always spending most of the summer months together getting into some form of trouble on the Heartfilia grounds. Lucy had lost count of all the times they'd explored the wooded lot on their land, or spent a whole day lazing about at the pond telling secrets. He was her person, the one who always had her back and would support her unwaveringly no matter what, and Lucy honestly wasn't sure what she'd have done without her brother.

He had been the one to support her applying to a college so far from home and the one that stood up to their father when he ordered Lucy to turn down her acceptance at Crocus University. He'd helped her pack her bags and load up her truck and even road up with her to help her settle in at her new boarding room before flying back to Hargeon to start his sophomore year two days behind everyone else. Though, that may have been more because Lucy was too busy crying to properly drive.

It had been terrifying to move away from the plantation when Lucy had never been to a city of any sort, especially since she'd no longer had any support from her father. But Sting's firm assurance that she would be fine had made all the difference. His confidence in her had helped Lucy believe in herself to stand alone for the first time and had made the pain of her and her father's last argument more bearable.

" _Show him he's wrong, sis. Make him eat his words so he can't say anything back when you come home a bigger success than he ever could be."_

That was what he'd said before heading back home and Lucy was glad he hadn't pushed her to talk with their father so soon. Jude had been furious when he'd learned that not only was his daughter moving to a "dangerous city" like Crocus for college, but was planning on majoring in _liberal writing_ as well. They'd had many fights over the years but that one had taken the cake. They'd both yelled so many awful things that day and, in a fit of rage, Jude had snatched Lucy's acceptance letter and tossed it in his office fireplace. Lucy had been so furious she'd vowed to properly disown herself as soon as she left. Saying that if her father had chased away Layla then Lucy would save him the trouble and just leave herself. She never forgot the broken look on her father's face after that. Even Sting had looked a little shattered as he pulled her out of their father's office and up to her room to pack.

It had taken many years, and a lot of Lucy growing up, but she did get why their father was so overprotective, even before their mother passed. He'd had more than his fair share of people who wanted to befriend him only for the benefit of his money. Jude didn't want his own children to have to worry about whose friendship was real and whose was not. Unfortunately, his answer was a mix of isolation and stern rules that only increased when Layla died.

It wasn't right, but now that Lucy was older she understood her father's intentions weren't bad. She was just glad she'd come to that realization before he passed and their relationship ended far better than it could have. She would choose the soft whispers of love in a small hospital room than the loud shouts of hate in a too big house as a final goodbye any day.

"It wasn't so bad," she murmured into her bottle. "Sting and I were really close so we always had each other at the house, and we had enough friends at school that it wasn't dreadful."

"Still," Lisanna said, "I can't believe we never met around town. I know the Heartfilia plantation was far outside Magnolia but I'd have thought you would be around more often."

Lucy shrugged. "The plantation was self-sustaining, as far as most food went, and it was only mom who came into town a lot. I don't think many people knew she even had kids. Our family was just…private." In a way.

"Well, I'm glad we could have met anyway," Natsu said with a bright smile. "Even if it was so late."

Lucy smiled back but she knew it looked forced. It felt forced. "Funny how things work out."

Natsu hummed and they all turned back to their food, the slight tension in the air enough to dampen any conversation for a while. Lucy could feel Natsu's eyes on her and tried not to fidget until the silence seemed too much for him and Natsu shoved himself to his feet, walking over to the large jukebox and slid a coin into the slot. Lucy watched him as he flipped through several options before seeming to find the song he wanted and hit play.

He turned around and looked right at Lucy and smirked, looking damn proud of himself as he walked over when the song started to play. It was a slow song, with the man's voice rolling over Lucy in a comforting way but it was the lyrics that really made her smile. They just… _fit_ so well, both as describing Lucy's life and what Natsu would say were she to open up more. _Oh, the irony with this man_ , she thought. She snorted and tried to focus on her food and not the man stopping next to her table with an exaggeratedly slow dance to match the rhythm of the song.

Lisanna giggled and Gray rolled his eyes. "Idiot," he mumbled and Natsu just flipped him off.

Lucy shook her head. "What are you doing?"

Natsu grinned. "Dancin'," he said simply. "Dance with me, Luce."

"I'd rather finish eating," she said, feeling her face heat up. She shoved around the last bites of food in the hope that it would look like she had more to eat than she really did.

Natsu shrugged and looked over to Lisanna and held out his hand. "Dance with me, Lis. Let's show Luce, here, what a good time with us is."

Lisanna was full on laughing as she stood and began slowly swaying side to side by Natsu. When he turned to look at Gray the man only glared and pointed his fork threateningly at Natsu and said, "Like hell, Flame Breath."

Natsu only shrugged and Lucy couldn't hold back her soft chuckle, her smile slowly growing to cover her whole face. After a few more verses came the chorus and Natsu smirked before singing along. Several people cheered while others joined in, some even getting up to dance around their own tables. Lucy could only smile and she found herself willingly standing when Natsu held out his hand again. She slowly rocked back and forth, letting Lisanna take her hands to slowly swing them over their heads as they took turns twirling.

It was simple and silly and _fun_ , and Lucy was still laughing by the time the sun just started to dip behind the horizon. "Oh," she gasped when she realized what time it was. "I should head home."

"What?" Natsu whined. "But we're just starting to have fun."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she rifled through her purse for a few bills. "I know, and I wish I could stay, but I promised Haru I'd read him a bedtime story if he called. And I don't really fancy talking to him with," she waved a hand vaguely around at the loud cheers and occasional yelled curse in the building, "all this going on."

Natsu chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. I get that. You're still comin' to the game tomorrow, right?"

Lucy nodded, moving to place the bills on the table when she paused and looked around. It occurred to her that she didn't know exactly how to pay. Given how… _unique_ Fairy Tail was in seating and ordering Lucy wouldn't be shocked to find they just had a large pot by the door people dropped money into on their way out. "Umm…"

Behind her Natsu chuckled. "Don't know how to pay, do ya?"

Lucy huffed and glared at him over his shoulder. "Of course I do! I just…was wondering if I should leave a tip?"

Natsu rolled his eyes but he was grinning. "No tip and you can just leave that on the table. I'll make sure Mira gets it."

Lucy nodded and smiled. "Thanks, Natsu. For a good time."

He grinned and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sure thing Luce. We should do this again, yeah? I bet Haru would love their fried shrimp."

Lucy frowned at that. "I'm not sure I want Haru developing eating habits like _yours_ ," she said, pointedly looking at Natsu's plate of fried food swimming in hot sauce.

Natsu gasped. "Why Mrs. Heartfilia, I for one am shocked you think so poorly of my eating habits. I'll have you know my mother, bless her soul, kept me and my sister on a _very_ healthy diet."

"A diet you apparently disregarded," Lucy said with a smirk. Natsu scoffed as she passed, apparently falling into his over-dramatics even easier after a few beers, and walked after Lucy to the door.

"I am serious though," he said at the door.

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"I'm glad we met, Lucy. I like you," he snickered, "even if ya are a bit weird."

"I'm not weird! You're weird!" Lucy sputtered, ignoring her flaming face. She knew it was probably a bright red and she just hoped Natsu couldn't see it in the waning light. "I'll see you tomorrow, Natsu. Make sure you hit a home run for Haru."

She turned and only just got to the bottom step when Natsu called from the door, "Oh, Luce. The color red really suits you."

Natsu cursed under his breath as he caught the softball square in his glove. Damn thing smacked right into his palm and he was sure his mom had thrown it _extra_ hard. "Stupid stronglady," he grumbled.

"I heard that," his mom said across from him.

Natsu grinned innocently before lobbing the ball to his sister on his right. Wendy easily snagged the ball from the air before faked throwing it to their mom only to chuck it right at Natsu's head. "What the hell!" he cried, barely snatching it out of the air before getting a broken nose. While he was on the one team that was filled with every person who knew how to set a nose that didn't mean Natsu wanted his broken. "Geez, Wen. Are you two trying to gang up on me? Not fair!"

Wendy laughed while Grandeeney made a point of straightening her ponytail. Her long, dark blue hair reached all the way down to her waist, even while pulled into a high ponytail. "Oh, don't be so dramatic, dear," she sighed, looking over at Wendy with a small wink. "Wendy and I are only trying to loosen up."

"Like _you_ should," Wendy added and Natsu had a feeling she wasn't talking about his muscles.

He frowned and drew his arm back to throw a particularly hard ball at his sister (she was strong and fast enough that he wasn't too concerned, even if she was only seventeen) when he caught site of a flash of blond hair out of the corner of his eye. He fumbled in his throw and ended up lamely tossing the ball several yards short of Wendy. Ignoring his sister's huff, Natsu turned and looked over at the benches but it was only Jenny Lemon out for her usual jog.

He wouldn't say he was worried, but it wouldn't be too much longer before the game started and Lucy and Haru weren't there yet. Well, neither were Erza and Jellal and they were on the other team. Actually, most of the two teams' members weren't there yet.

"You did invite your friend, right dear?" his mom asked. "I was hoping to talk with her a bit. Perhaps invite her and her son to dinner afterwards."

Natsu refrained from glaring at his mom. He knew she meant well, and that she and Lucy would get along wonderfully, but he just didn't want his mom to put any stress on Lucy's shoulders with heavy comments about their relationship. Or rather what it _could_ be. His mom was a master at subtly pushing Natsu into getting in a relationship, and even better at letting him know who she thought was worth the trouble. Hell, she'd already made him a bit nervous about him and Lucy, and he'd only heard what she thought about them through his old man!

He still felt like an idiot for how he'd acted the last few times he'd seen her. They were just friends. _New friends_ , at that, and Natsu didn't want to rush into anything. Not to say he wanted anything more in the first place! He was happy he and Lucy were becoming such good friends, that he could be there for her and Haru was important, even if he wasn't completely sure why.

Point was, Natsu was happy with how he and Lucy were and he just had a feeling his mother's involvement would only confuse them both. Besides, Natsu wasn't really looking for someone to date anyway. He'd had relationships and flings but the idea of settling down just seemed too soon.

"Of course I invited Lucy and Haru. She promised they'd come." He turned and smirked at his mom as they walked over to the bench behind the fence between home and third to grab their water. "If you didn't insist we get here so early we wouldn't have to wait on everyone."

"Well excuse me if I wanted some time to be with my lovely children," Grandeeney said, reaching out to pull Wendy into her arms.

Wendy giggled and smiled as she hugged their mom back as the two beamed up at him. Natsu would never get over how alike they were. Both in looks and in personality. Wendy was the spitting image of their mom, her hair just as long and deep in color, and her eyes the same dark brown. They were even the same height, both standing just to Natsu's collar bone, though Natsu suspected Wendy had a few growth spurts left. Curtesy of their dad who was just a hair taller than Natsu. The biggest difference was the streaks of white at his mother's temples and the slight wrinkles around her mouth and eyes from smiling so much.

Both women were almost unbearably kind and compassionate, yet able to turn as fierce and brave as a dragon when someone they cared for was hurt, and they both held a deep love of medicine. Really, no one was shocked when Wendy announced she would be going to medical school. She spent just as much of her free time at their mom's office as she did at the horse barn back home with Carla or running around with Sheila. Unfortunately for Natsu, his mother and sister's similarities also included liking to tease him relentlessly. Which was why he should have known they were up to something when they suggested coming out to the park a little early to warm up. Less witnesses.

"Natsu's just nervous because _Lucy_ is coming," Wendy snickered.

"I'm not nervous. And don't say her name like that!"

Wendy blinked innocently as sat on the bench to take her own water out of the cooler they'd brought. "Like what?"

Natsu scowled and crossed his arms before deciding he needed something in his hands and snatched a bottle of water from the wooden bench. "Like your seven and saying I like her."

"Do you?" Grandeeney asked.

"No. I mean, not like how you're implying."

"I'm not saying anything," his mother said with a casual flick of her hair.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Right. And I'm not gonna hit a homerun today."

"You didn't last year," Wendy added and Natsu squirted a bit of his water at her shoes.

"Oh leave the boy alone. Not his fault Gray's such a good pitcher." They all turned to Igneel as he walked over with Metalicana who had Emma balanced on his broad shoulders with Lily trailing at his heals. Gajeel and Levy were unpacking their own cooler from Gajeel's black hummer, no doubt it was full of hot dogs and burgers for the team. Even from this distance Natsu could see Emma's favorite pink and glittered fairy stickers placed across the car's side and bumper. They stood out perfectly against the black paint and Natsu still thought it was hilarious that his overly serious, tattooed and pierced cousin drove around in a hummer covered in fairies and flowers.

Even more funny was how Gajeel would boast about them to anyone who so much as glanced at his car.

Natsu turned to his father as he walked over to give his wife a kiss on her cheek. "Gray's a cheater and that ump was biased!"

Igneel chuckled as he sat down next to Wendy. "I'll give you the ump but Gray has always had good aim. And you weren't really tryin' last year."

Natsu pouted and crossed his arms, slumping a little extra to make Emma giggle. "And here I thought you were gonna give me a break," he grumbled.

His dad laughed and poked Natsu none-too-gently in the stomach with his cane. "No breaks for you. Now go bat so your sister can practice pitching." Igneel grinned and leaned over to Wendy to whisper in her ear, "Give 'im hell."

Despite the supposed threat of his sister to give him hell, Natsu was wonderfully loose by the time the rest of their team, as well as their opponents, showed up. The teams weren't too big, with only about eleven people on each team, barely enough to cover the whole field at once. It wasn't long before Lisanna, Juvia, Sheila and the other vet techs and nurses arrived and Natsu stood back while his mother immediately talked strategy. While the tournament was for charity, everyone in town knew the Dragneel's were the most competitive team around. With the exception of Sting's team.

It was a few minutes before the game was scheduled to start and Natsu was debating if he should call Lucy and ask her if she was still gonna come or if that would be too much. He groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. _This_ was why he didn't want his mom prying. All her little quips and seemingly innocent questions that left him reeling only confused him to the point where he couldn't even call Lucy without wondering if he _should_.

"Alright! If everyone is ready we're gonna get started," Erza said, walking over to go over the last parts with his mom and the ump.

"No! We need to wait for-"

"Natsu!"

Natsu spun around so fast he actually heard something pop, but that didn't matter when he saw Lucy and Haru walking over with Sting and Yukino. Sting helped Yukino sit down on the shaded part of the bench while Lucy dropped their bags nearby but Haru rushed past her to Natsu, a big grin stretching over his face that Natsu knew was mirrored on his own.

"Hey kiddo!" He knelt down to properly grin at the boy just as he stumbled to a stop in front of him. "Got here just in time. That's some good luck," he said with a wink.

Haru giggled and Natsu glanced up at Lucy who rolled her eyes. "Sorry we were a bit late. _Eucliffe_ wanted to pack his house."

Her brother glared at her and Natsu snickered. Seemed he wasn't the only one whose sister liked to tease. "Ain't my fault Yuki's about to pop! I need to be ready."

"Technically _it is_ your fault," Sheila said.

Sting gave her a dull look and flicked her hat off as she walked over to Wendy. "Not what I meant," he grumbled and everyone laughed.

Haru tugged at Natsu's sleeve to get his attention. "Natsu. Do you like my outfit?"

Natsu pursed his lips, scratched his chin and made a show of looking Haru up and down. Really, the boy looked god damned hilarious. His backpack was practically bursting at the seams, stuffed with _something_ , and he clutched his treasured tin bin to his chest. His t-shirt was a bright blue with a pattern over it that looked like fish scales and his tennis shoes were still blinking around the dragon picture on the side. But the best part was the massive dragon costume head Haru wore. Natsu could just see his big eyes and chubby cheeks bunching up from his grin through the open mouth and damn if he wasn't the cutest thing Natsu had ever seen.

He grinned. "I like it. Makes ya look fierce."

Haru nodded. "Not scary, right? You'd still want to play with me right?" he asked.

"Of course! Who wouldn't want to play with such an awesome dragon?!"

Haru laughed and bounced a little on his toes. "Reiki's the knight. See!" He pointed to where Reiki was standing with Jellal by their bench. His dad was helping him tie the arm bands to his outfit, the big helmet making his head bob with the effort to hold it upright. Now Natsu knew why Emma had insisted on wearing her princess dress.

"Oh yeah. Well, ya can't have a dragon and princess without a knight."

"Mmhmm. Hey, Natsu. I have a question."

Natsu chuckled. Haru's ability to switch from excited to shy on a dime was one of his favorite things about the boy. "Alright. Shoot."

Haru frowned slightly and bit his lip. "It's a secret…"

Natsu nodded and leaned forward so Haru could whisper in his ear, which wasn't easy with his dragon head. "When you were saved by that dragon, did he say where he lived? You know, so you could visit?"

Natsu ran a hand through his hair as he thought that over. He wasn't sure how much he could milk the whole dragon thing and if Lucy would even approve. She seemed to always encourage Haru's creativity so…why not give the kid a good story. "Well, he said he had this _huge cave_ that he kept all his gold in. Wouldn't tell me where, cause that was his secret place," Haru nodded, his brown eyes wide as he listened closely to Natsu's hushed whisper. "But he said he loved spending time out by the lake. Helped keep him cool in the summer, ya know?"

"Okay. Thanks."

Natsu raised an eyebrow as Haru rushed off to where Reiki and Emma were waiting by the benches. _That was…weird_ , he thought. Normally Haru wasn't so…abrupt. Natsu shrugged as he stood. Maybe the kid was just excited to play at the park.

He looked over at Lucy who only shrugged and opened her mouth to say something when his mom walked back over to announce they would be in the field first. She gave them all their positions and after handing Igneel the clipboard led the team on the field.

Natsu looked back at Lucy who smiled and waved him on. "You heard the coach. Go play."

Natsu sighed and after casting a weary look at his dad turned and slipped between the fences onto the field. He took his place as short-stop when Haru called out to him. He turned and saw the boy standing at the fence line, grinning as he bounced on his feet. "Catch the ball!" he yelled.

Natsu laughed. "Aye, sir!"

Lucy chuckled as she watched Haru cheer Natsu on. Reiki and Emma stood next to him, Emma just as loud as she bounced and twirled around in her pink dress while Reiki couldn't seem to decide who he should cheer on. Natsu and his team or his mother who was walking up to bat. The three looked like characters out of a spoof movie but Erza hadn't said anything when Haru and Reiki had jumped out of their car all dressed up so Lucy decided to just roll with it. Her son had certainly done stranger things before.

Someone chuckled next to her. "Quite the fan you have there."

Lucy turned and saw an older man with deep red hair flecked with gray and a familiar looking smile. "Oh, just wait until Natsu's set to bat. I think it may be a case of a hero worship complex," she said.

The man chuckled, making the creases around his mouth and eyes deepen before holding out a hand. "I see. So you must be Lucy Heartfilia. My son's talked quite a bit about you and your boy."

"Your son?" Lucy asked, reaching out to take his hand. It was large and rough, like aged leather, and dark from many days out in the sun.

He nodded towards the field. "That fool on short is mine. So is the pitcher and the lovely one on home."

Lucy blinked. "Oh! You're Natsu's dad!"

He laughed at that, the same loud booming noise that Natsu had. "That I am. Igneel Dragneel. I'm sure by the end of the day you'll have met my wife, Grandeeney. She's a bit of a chatter box so keep an eye on your ears, least they fall off."

Lucy snickered at that. She could definitely see where Natsu got his humor from, as well as looks. "Well, it's nice to meet you."

She called Haru over to introduce him to Igneel as Erza easily moved to first after her hit. "Hello, Mr. Dragneel. I'm Haru Heartfilia," he said.

Igneel grinned. "Oh, none of that "Mr." talk, call me pops. Everyone does," he said when Lucy started to protest. She still wasn't used to people being so casual with titles around kids. Her father nearly had a coronary when her brother called one of his business colleagues by his first name.

Haru snickered. "Okay, pops. Uh, mom? Can I go play with Reiki and Emma?"

"Sure." Haru rushed back to his friends sitting under a large tree at the other side of the benches.

Lucy watched him for a moment but since they were near Sting and Yukino she let herself relax. Besides, she'd seen several people keeping an eye on the children, even the ones that weren't theirs. Lucy had forgotten that it was just something people in Magnolia did. She could see Levy with who Lucy assumed to be her husband, Gajeel, and another older man with dark hair by one of the grills around the picnic area watching the three kids closely. Not to mention Lily was already sitting with the kids. His lone eye watching everyone who happened to walk by closely.

Beside her, Igneel chuckled. "That's one cute kid."

"It's the dragon head," Lucy said and Igneel laughed so hard Lucy thought he might fall from the bench.

Igneel wiped his eyes as his laughter subsided and he turned back to her. "So Lucy, what do you think of our team? I'm betting we make first this year. Though not many keep count."

Lucy smiled and found herself easily drawn into a conversation with Igneel ranging from softball to her past job to Haru. She learned quite a bit about Igneel as well, and found herself in a nice position regarding some embarrassing stories about Natsu. Igneel was wonderfully easy to talk to, much like his son, and in many ways Lucy felt like she was talking with Natsu. The first inning didn't last long but Erza's team did manage to score four points. The woman who Lucy assumed to be Grandeeney was a flurry of shouted batting line-ups and quick scribbles on a clipboard as she stood off to the side of the field. A girl with cherry pink hair tied into pigtails was up first (Sheela was her name, if Lucy heard Grandeeney correctly), followed by Lisanna then Natsu's sister, Wendy, then Natsu himself.

Igneel busied himself with passing out bottles of water and Natsu was distracted by Wendy asking him about someone named Carla so Lucy was left on her own for the moment. She shouldn't have been too surprised that that wouldn't last long.

A young woman with wavy, blue hair sat down next to her and smiled softly. She'd kept her hair down, despite the heat, and only had a simple butterfly clip to keep it out of her face. Lucy's first impression of her was that she was very proper, with her whole outfit looking fashionable but not overly so, and she sat perfectly straight with her legs tucked elegantly under the bench and her hands clasped in her lap. She reminded Lucy of the women her father would do business with but there was a softness in her blue eyes that spoke of kindness and a bluntness to her nails that showed she was a hard worker. Lucy was pretty sure she'd seen her around Sabretooth, usually picking up food to go.

"Hello. You are Lucy Heartfilia, right? Juvia is very glad to finally meet you."

Lucy blinked at the heavy accent. It wasn't one from Fiore and while Lucy couldn't say exactly where, she was sure this woman was from another country. It would explain her unique way of talking. Lucy smiled and took her hand. "It's nice to meet you too. I've seen you around Sabretooth but we haven't had a chance to talk."

Juvia smiled. "Oh, yes! Juvia goes there quite often for Dr. Grandeeney. She likes the Saber Burger best, though Juvia doesn't think it's very good." Juvia wrinkled her nose when she mentioned the massive quarter-pound burger.

Lucy raised an eyebrow, "For Mrs. Dragneel?"

"What's for her?"

"You get food for Mrs. Dragneel."

"Oh. Yes. Juvia works for Dr. Grandeeney as her assistant in her doctor's office. Mostly Juvia answers phones and takes care of all the paperwork but it's lovely work and Juvia gets to talk to everyone in town and help people," she said, eyes lighting up as she rambled about her job. "Juvia heard you are going to work for the paper? That sounds lovely."

Lucy sighed and slumped slightly. "Hopefully. It's been a little over a month since I last talked with them and I still haven't heard anything."

"You should call and ask to speak with Freed Justine. He's the head writer and publisher. It's possible he forgot about your…ah…application. He is very busy making sure the paper covers the upcoming fair. Juvia doesn't get to speak with him as often now since he's so busy with work."

Lucy smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Thank you."

Juvia smiled and nodded before turning back to the game. Lisanna was already up to bat and Lucy could see Sheela was on first. Natsu and Wendy were on the side trying to distract Gray with a few vaguely rude chants about his pants. Or something…

Lucy frowned and leaned back against the bench behind her. "Well, that's a little annoying," she mumbled.

Juvia nodded and leaned closer to Lucy. "Yes. But Gray won't be distracted by them. Juvia game him earplugs in the car earlier."

Lucy smirked. "Sneaky."

Juvia smiled and dipped her head down slightly. "Oh no. It's not sneaky. Juvia was only trying to help Gray from getting a headache. He didn't sleep well last night and Juvia wanted him to have fun today. He's been very busy with work and has been coming home later than usual."

"I take it you two are together then?"

Juvia blushed and looked down at her hands. "No. At times? Juvia is not sure yet…" Lucy pursed her lips. She was the last person to judge anyone's relationships and she knew Gray was a good man, if a little closed off. Juvia looked up at Gray then. "Juvia is happy though. Some don't think so, but it's alright. Gray is good and Juvia likes him and his family very much. Yesterday we all spent the day at his parent's house and Juvia talked with Mrs. Ur and Ultear about going on a family vacation, since Juvia has never been on one. We are all like a family."

Lucy smiled. "That's good then," she said, and Juvia smiled at her.

Talking with Juvia was…odd, Lucy decided. At times the conversation would flow easily and other times Lucy would struggle with how to best respond. That usually only happened when Juvia seemed partial to sharing a particularly, well, _private_ piece of gossip, to put it mildly. Juvia was also partial to rambling and had gone on and on about her living on a small house boat along the river close to town for a solid two minutes. She was polite but could turn her emotions swifter than the tide if Lucy said something Juvia deemed wrong. It certainly kept Lucy on her toes.

Not long into their conversation, Juvia excused herself to get ready for her turn at bat after Natsu. By the time Natsu was up the bases were loaded and when he smashed the ball into far left center Lucy could see why Grandeeney put him up at fourth. He was all the way on second before the ball was brought infield, and by that point Sheila, Lisanna and Wendy were already in. Haru and the other kids were cheering and Igneel was whistling as Lucy sat back down after getting caught up in all the excitement.

She cheered for Juvia as she calmly made her way up to the plate, hefting her bat over her shoulder in a way that Lucy knew was a bit too high. A few in fielders moved up a bit but Lucy noticed how when Gray threw the ball it was significantly less hard then all his pitches before.

Igneel leaned over to nudge her side as he grinned. "They're sweet on each other."

Lucy giggled. "I can tell."

"I'm also betting on when Gray'll finally admit he likes her. Boy's been dancin' around her since she showed up."

Lucy laughed at that. "I can picture him doing something like that."

"Oh, now don't start trying to turn this sweet young lady into a gambler like you." Lucy nearly jumped when Grandeeney suddenly spoke up next to her in Juvia's place. She hadn't even seen the woman walk over.

Igneel only grinned and nudged Lucy's arm with his elbow. "We'd never do something so callous, right Lucy."

She nodded at Igneel and grinned. "Right."

Grandeeney rolled her eyes at her husband and turned to Lucy. "I'm sure you already know, but I'm Grandeeney. _This_ old fool in my husband."

"This old fool who is lucky to have you," Igneel added with a grin, making Grandeeney sigh but her lips twitched into a fond smile.

Lucy smiled and shook her hand. Grandeeney was a lovely woman and Lucy could tell the two of them would get along very well. While Natsu and Igneel had a noticeable drawl, Grandeeney had more of the mannered southern lit many high end ladies did in the south. It made her sound more proper but her casual look and kind but sharp eyes made her approachable. She actually reminded Lucy quite a lot of her mother in that sense. What was it her grandpa often said? Sweet like strawberry wine but with a kick like whiskey. Yes, that described Grandeeney very well.

"Lucy, but you probably already knew that too."

Grandeeney hummed, eyeing her son now on third. "You know, Natsu's determined to hit a home run today. I'll bet it has something to do with his big fan over there." She nodded to Haru who was back at the fence grinning as he waved to Natsu. The man had made quite a show of stealing third, much to Haru's and the rest of the spectator's amusement.

Lucy smiled. "Haru's pretty excited about today. Honestly, I don't know if it's because he and his friends set up this big game of theirs or if it's because Natsu promised him a home run. Would you believe he's hardly talked about anything else all week?"

Grandeeney laughed. "Oh, yes. My son was the same way. I'll bet he's just happy you and Haru are here. He's spoken about you and your son quite often, you know."

Lucy blinked, ignoring the warmth in her stomach at what Grandeeney had said. "He has?"

She nodded. "Oh, yes dear. I heard about what happened with Plue. I hope she's doing okay."

Lucy nodded, dutifully ignoring the sour feeling curling through her stomach knowing that was all Natsu had said about her and Haru. "Yeah, she's fine. So are the puppies. I'm just glad Natsu was there so quickly."

Grandeeney nodded. "He's good like that, and an even better vet! It's why I think I'll keep him around a little longer," she winked. "At least until I get my grandchildren."

Lucy laughed. "I don't blame you. He's been a big help since moving here and a wonderful friend. To me and Haru."

Lucy thought she saw Grandeeney and Igneel exchange a quick look but she couldn't be sure as she watched Natsu jokingly take several steps off third base and act like he was going to steal home. Lucy smiled and shook her head. Natsu really was good, like his mother had said. He had no problems acting like a fool if it meant he got a laugh, especially if it was from a child, and he was always ready to slam everything to a halt when someone needed him. Lucy hadn't thought much of it before, but she was quite surprised he wasn't married and had a family of his own. He was loving, kind, funny, brave, excellent with kids, level-headed when he needed to be. And attractive. Lucy had been aware of that from day one, even if she would only admit it to herself. How he hadn't been snatched up by someone yet was beyond her. And a little relieving…

Grandeeney laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You know, Lucy. Most of the team sticks around for hot dogs and burgers after the game but we like to get the Dragneel family together for some games and dinner after. I'd love to have you and Haru come by. Sting and Yukino too, and we'll just make a whole family affair of it. What do you say?"

"O-oh, well I…"

"We'll go," Yukino said a little ways down the bench. "Actually Grandeeney, I was hoping I could ask you about the baby. I have a few questions and I'm sure Sting would love to have some of that fried chicken you make," She turned to look at her husband and Lucy thought she saw him frown slightly before Yukino patted his thigh.

"Sure. Sounds good. What'dya say sis?"

Lucy frowned, glancing over at Haru, then to her brother and Yukino then back to Grandeeney. "O-okay. That sounds nice. Yeah! We'll just follow you back to your house."

Grandeeney smiled and patted Lucy's knee. "Excellent. I'd love to talk with you about that piece you wrote about wormholes and the possibility of traveling through them. 'The Gateway', I believe it was… That was very interesting, and for you to write it so young! It's probably one of the most impressive things I've ever read."

Lucy grinned. Not many knew of the entrance essay she'd written to get into Crocus University's astronomy program and she was always happy to hear someone enjoyed it. The essay detailed the concept of traveling far distances across space in a short time, particularly the hypotheses including wormholes. The piece was a still a bit out there, as far as science went, and only had the earliest hypotheses to back it up but Lucy had always found the topics of wormholes and what they could potentially do, as far as traveling across the stars in a mere second, to be fascinating. Plus it was a good way to combine her love of science and magic.

Lucy spent the next few innings talking with Grandeeney whenever the woman was nearby until she held up a finger and went off to fetch Levy from the grill and sat her down next to Lucy. "Tell her now, dear, and tell me at dinner," she said. Lucy blushed but was more than happy to talk with Levy. Lucy had the habit of rambling and becoming over excited about her work when anyone showed even the smallest amount of interest. Natsu had made the mistake of coming over to see how she was enjoying the game and soon got swept into the conversation as well. He'd listened with a soft smile on his face as she talked about the structure of a wormhole and what it would mean to discover one in real life rather than an eloquent equation on paper before begrudgingly heading back out to the field.

"Sorry Luce. As much as I'd like to hear ya keep talkin' I gotta go. We can't lose to Erza," he grumbled before stalking through the fences.

Lucy blinked and glanced over at the clipboard Igneel was holding. Lucy was a bit shocked to find out that it was already the eighth inning and Natsu's team was down six with Erza's team only needing one more point to win the first game of the season. Apparently, Gray was one hell of a pitch as Grandeeney had studiously marked down that most of the team was struck out. Natsu included.

"How'd that happen..?" she mumbled.

"Well, while you got stuck in your head the Dragneel's team got their asses handed to them," said her brother from where he'd moved over to sit behind her. Lucy had been using him to lean back against while Yukino gossiped on and off with Juvia about Mavis only knew what.

Lucy rolled her eyes and nudged his knee. "Six points down is hardly getting their asses handed to them."

Sting grinned and tugged a strand of her hair. "It is for the Dragneels."

Levy giggled, reaching out to smooth Emma's hair back from her face as the little girl wiggled around more comfortably in her mother's lap. She'd grown tired after playing with Haru and Reiki on the playground and had climbed onto Levy's lap to doze in her arms. "He's right, Lulu. You should have seen the stink Natsu and Gajeel made last year when the med team went up against the mechanic team. They fought each play nearly the whole game so much that the ump ended up calling the winner two innings early."

"Natsu was cheating!" Gajeel called as he stalked by with more hotdogs. The kids and spectators had hit Gajeel and his father hard at the grills. "And Lisanna's always been as wily as a cat. Wasn't fair."

Levy waved him off. "Yes, yes. And the ump had been paid, I know."

Lucy chuckled and shifted back against her brother's legs a bit. "He really called the game?"

"Yep," Sting said, popping the 'p'. "And Doc, over here, nearly bit his head off. Why do you think she's writing down every kicked stone." He smirked over at Grandeeney standing by the bats watching the game and dutifully writing on her clipboard.

"Nothing's more important than heart," Igneel said, and Sting tossed his head back and laughed.

Lucy looked out at the field. The bases were once again full and Natsu was up to bat. He looked determined and confident despite the fact he hadn't been able to hit anything other than a few easy high balls to center field. It made it ridiculously easy for the outfielders to catch, and easier to hold their place in the lead. As he was every time Natsu was up to bat, Haru stood against the fence by home. He bounced up and down beside Reiki as he cheered, "Get a home run, Natsu! A home run!"

Natsu grinned and walked over to where Haru stood, ignoring Gray's impatient yells for him to hurry up. "A home run, eh? Sounds like a good plan, little man. Where you want me to hit it?"

Haru paused to think it over, scanning the back field before whispering something to Natsu that Lucy couldn't hear from the benches but had Natsu giving a wicked grin as he nodded. "Aye, sir," he said and gave a two fingered salute before striding over to home.

She raised an eyebrow when he moved to bat left-handed, which he hadn't been doing all game. Beside her, Igneel gave a low whistle. "Goin' to left. He's serious about this one."

Lucy cast him a quick glance before looking back at the game. "What do you mean?"

"Natsu's ambidextrous," Grandeeney said from her spot beside her husband where she'd suddenly slipped to. "He can bat both ways but he's always been better left-handed. He's like that for most of the tasks one can do with their hands in fact. It gives him a little ace up his sleeve when he's in a particularly difficult surgery."

Igneel leaned over to Lucy and tapped her knee with his cane. "He only bats left when we need the runs or he's tryin' to impress someone."

Lucy smirked and looked over at her son, unaware of Grandeeney's pointed tap on her husband's shoulder or her brother's annoyed sneer. Natsu's change in batting seemed to alter the whole game, as all the infielders suddenly moved onto their toes and lowered their stance and the outfielders moved much farther back. Erza took a few steps back on her position at first as well and Jellal shuffled up into a more professional crouch at home plate.

Gray raised an eyebrow. "That's how we're doing it?"

"Just throw the ball, Ice Queen," Natsu said.

Gray shrugged and rolled his shoulder out a few times before shifting into a real pitcher's stance. Lucy held her breath as Gray threw his first pitch, and boy was it _fast._ "Strike!" yelled the ump but Natsu didn't budge or even try to swing.

Lucy frowned. "What's he-"

"Watch 'em," Igneel mumbled.

The second pitch was a bit outside, but it looked pretty damn close to Lucy, and the third was another strike. On the fourth pitch, Natsu swung hard and smashed the ball high into right field and then it went higher, and farther and…over the fence. Natsu's team went crazy, cheering and whistling and yelling like it was a real game, and Lucy was right along with them. She laughed as Igneel clapped her shoulder and Sting threw his arms around her neck from behind. Grandeeney pulled Juvia into a tight huge and Sheila, Lisanna and Wendy were leisurely jogging into home, laughing the whole way.

Lucy turned to look at Haru but couldn't see him over the rest of the team jumping up and down. She heard Haru's laughter though so she imagined he was having a good time. She caught a flash of white and turned to Yukino just as she looked over at Lucy. Her eyes were wide and a little nervous in a way that pulled Lucy's stomach right down to her toes.

"Eucliffe," Yukino said, her usually soft voice loud over the slowly dying cheers.

It pulled Sting's attention right away and even Grandeeney and Igneel turned towards her. "Yuki! What's wrong?" Sting gasped as he rushed to her side, Lucy right behind him.

"Nothing. It's just the baby must have been a bit excited about the hit too and my water broke."

Yukino sounded perfectly calm and Lucy half expected her to say something about the weather next. Lucy and Sting both looked down at the puddle in the dirt under the bench where Yukino was sitting. "Your water…broke…" Sting mumbled.

Levy stood stock still behind Lucy, holding Emma as they both stared in shock. "Mommy. Did Yukino have an accident?" she asked.

Lucy turned to see Levy shake her head. "No, sweetheart. The baby is coming…"

Lucy blinked once before all her intense studying for her own pregnancy snapped into focus and she grabbed Sting's elbow. "The baby! Oh my god! We have to get to the hospital. Or call 911. Which is faster?" She asked, looking around at Levy then back to her brother.

"The…baby…"

"Eucliffe!" Lucy hollered, and that pulled everyone's attention real fast. Grandeeney was suddenly right there, as was Wendy and Juvia. Grandeeney gently placed a hand on Yukino's back, rubbing in slow circles as she murmured for Yukino to breath and stay calm.

Grandeeney looked over at Lucy and back to Yukino. "The closest hospital is in Onibus, forty minutes away. It'll take too long to wait for an ambulance. Yukino, dear, we'll have to drive you."

"Not Sting," Lucy said, pinching her brother's cheek hard enough to cut off his mumbles about "baby coming…hospital…baby…baby…Yuki…" and snap his brain back into working order. He gave his head a sharp shake before focusing on Yukino.

"We came in Yuki's van. It's not very big…" he said, reaching down to take Yukino's hand and brush her short hair back from her face. That was when her first contraction seemed to hit, as she squeezed Sting's hand and closed her eyes to grit her teeth with a soft exhale.

"That was a contraction," Sting said and looked up at Grandeeney. "Should they happen that fast?"

Grandeeney's eyes were wide before she sighed and murmured, "Lord give me strength." She stood up to her full height and suddenly looked every bit the capable doctor and not a loving mother and softball coach. Juvia took her place at Yukino's other side. "We'll take my car then," Grandeeney said. "Natsu, go get the car and bring it around!" she called and Lucy had never seen the man move so quickly as he nimbly wove through the crowd gathered around and sprinted across the park to a big, white SUV. Grandeeney turned back to Sting and Yukino. "Juvia and I will ride with you two. If you're having contractions so soon we could have to deliver the baby a little early."

"What does that mean?" Sting asked, finally looking up from where he'd been focusing on easing Yukino through her second contraction. There wasn't much time between them already.

"It means, the baby might get the scenic route to the hospital. Now, Wendy, get some ice and water to put in my cooler and Lucy could you try to find as many towels or blankets-"

"We have towels. I brought towels…" Sting said.

Lucy reached out to pat his back. He looked near crazed and Lucy could see his fingers trembling around Yukino's. "It'll be okay," she murmured to him. He nodded and Lucy pulled the several bags they'd brought with them from under the bench. She silently thanked her brother's tendency to go a bit overboard when it came to family as one bag was stuffed with nothing but soft towels and another with more bottles of water than Lucy could count. Sting had packed three bags total and had more than enough supplies for an impromptu hospital visit. Or maybe even an impromptu birth…but Lucy hoped that was the last case.

Natsu pulled the car up right beside the benches and leaned out the window. "Ready when you are!" he called from the driver's seat.

Grandeeney nodded. "Right. Natsu will drive and Wendy you will sit in the front. Juvia and I will be back with you two," she told Sting and Yukino.

"We'll follow you," Erza said, walking over with Jellal. "Lucy, you and Haru can ride with us if you'd like. Our car is big enough."

Lucy nodded, "Okay." She turned back to her brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can stop by your house and get anything else you need, Sting. Which likely won't be much, but Yukino will want some clothes and I'm sure you will too."

He nodded and gave her a smile. "Okay, sis. Thanks."

She nodded and leaned over to give him a quick hug. "I'll call you when we leave the house. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"We'll go with you," Levy said, hurrying over with Wendy with their cooler. Gajeel, Emma and the older man (Metalicana, from what Lucy remembered of Natsu's hurried introduction as Gajeel's father) Lucy had seen with Gajeel by the grills earlier were right on her heals. "You may need help finding the hospital. I've been there so much with Gajeel I practically know every route there."

Erza nodded. "We'll follow you then."

"Well, whoever is going find a car and hurry up! We'll meet you at the hospital," Grandeeney said.

There was a flurry of movement from almost everyone as people gathered their things and rushed to their cars. Sting and Grandeeney helped Yukino stand and make her way over to the car. Wendy took the bags from Lucy and Juvia took the cooler from Levy. Lucy looked over at Natsu and found he was already looking at her, his eyebrows drawn together and a look in his eyes that Lucy couldn't quite place but made her stop and stare right back.

"Hold it! Dad, you can drive and I'll go with Lucy." He hopped out of the car and walked over to Lucy. Igneel was already getting in the driver's seat while Grandeeney was yelling at Natsu to make up his mind but he was looking at Lucy with determination and a steady calmness that she recognized from when he'd arrived to help with Plue. "I know where the hospital is and I can watch Haru if ya need me to, Luce," he said when he reached her side. He grinned, "It'll be faster if we take my truck and get that stuff and head there instead of five people following each other."

Lucy blinked up at him, stunned that he would offer to stay with her and Haru like that, before smiling softly and reaching out to take his hand and gave it a small squeeze. "Thank you, Natsu. I'd really appreciate that."

He smiled, his eyes soft, and gave her hand a comforting squeeze back before she let her hand slip from his. She was starring and she knew she needed to move, to get Haru and help her brother but that warm feeling in her chest was starting to creep back and she was having a _really_ hard time ignoring the fact that it was happening more and more often around Natsu. And that she was kind of okay with it.

Levy cleared her throat and Lucy and Natsu both snapped their heads over to her. Her eyes flicked back and forth between them for a moment before she looked back at Lucy. "If Natsu's going with you I'll just meet you at the hospital then."

"As will we," Erza said.

"A-are you sure? I mean, you don't have to come-"

Levy waved her hand and rolled her eyes with a fond smile. "Oh, it's fine. Besides, I have a feeling most of the town will be there anyway. Wouldn't want to miss this."

With that she turned and reached for Emma's hand but the little girl pulled back. "No! I don't wanna go! I wanna stay here with Reiki and Haru!" she cried.

"Emma, sweetie, Reiki and Haru are going with their parents to the hospital too. We'll see them in a bit," Levy said, reaching for her daughter's hand again but Emma only shrieked and ducked closer to her grandpa beside her.

"No! I was 'posed to be with them to help but I can't find them." She started to tear up and Metalicana knelt down to place a large hand on her back. Emma leaned closer to him, shying away from her mother's careful look.

Lucy's body went cold and everyone stiffened at what Emma said. Lucy's head snapped up and she looked wildly around for her son but she couldn't see him. She _couldn't see him_. He was just at the fence and now…now he wasn't anywhere around the park. How had this happened? She'd just seen him, he was _right there_ but she turned away for a second and…and he was gone!

She could feel her panic rising up her throat as she looked over each corner of the wide open field. She was breathing fast and far too heavy but she couldn't worry about that because her son was _gone_ and she couldn't find him because he was gone-

A warm hand slid into hers and suddenly Lucy was pulled back from her racing thoughts. She looked up at Natsu, still half frantic but found his calm, if a little worried, eyes so grounding. He didn't say anything, just shifted closer to her side and Lucy very nearly leaned against him for the support. Both emotional and physical. He squeezed her hand Lucy knew it was his way of telling her calm down, that Haru would be found and he'd be okay. Besides, with how many people were around someone likely saw him run off somewhere to play. And Emma hadn't really said much about Haru and Reiki. Perhaps she'd meant she'd lost sight of them and it was nothing more than a child upset that her friends weren't nearby to play with her.

Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Trying to get her emotions back under control was a lot easier with Natsu at her side.

Levy took her daughter's hand and this time Emma let her. "What do you mean you can't find them?" she asked.

Emma sniffed and looked up at the adults around her, suddenly looking far more nervous instead of close to tears. "Um…I don't know…"

"Emma Rosemary Redfox. What did you three do?" Levy's eyes narrowed and her tone was sharp and left no room for arguing.

Emma squeaked and tried to shift closer to Metalicana but he held her in place with a soft but firm hand to her small shoulder. "W-we just wanted to help Haru find his dragon. He said it was in the woods, by some water, and had a big cave and if we found it we could get a wish and Haru could wish for his daddy." She sniffled and rubbed at her eye with her free hand. "I just wanted to help but when everyone was worried about Yukino and the baby I forgot to go with them. I was 'posed to be the princess to help find the dragon!"

Lucy took a shuddering breath. The dragon. Haru had run off to find the dragon Lucy had told him about. And all because she still hadn't figured out how to tell him the truth about his father. This was her fault. She should have told him why he couldn't find a dragon and why his father wasn't coming back. Natsu squeezed her hand and gently tugged her forward a bit until she turned and met his eyes.

"We'll find them," he told her. "It's gonna be okay, Luce."

"Reiki's missing too?" Erza said. She looked a bit panicked too, though Lucy felt a thousand times worse, as Jellal placed a hand around her shoulders and murmured softly in her ear.

"Don't worry, Erza. Reiki will be fine. Remember you taught him all those safety techniques?"

Erza nodded and took a deep breath before looking at Lucy. "Right. They can't have gotten far. If they were looking for some caves or water there's a river not far east of here. Reiki will know of it, definitely knows about the caves in the mountain up north."

"East…" Natsu said, an odd look on his face.

Jellal nodded. "We've been hiking around here for years and Reiki always loves to visit the river. We usually pass over it on the trail farther north but I'm sure that's where they went."

"Then that's where we will go too," Erza said.

Lucy felt her shoulders relax and the breath she hadn't realized she was holding left her in a shaky sigh. Natsu's grip on her hand tightened and she looked back at him to see his calm eyes and reassuring smile. "See, Luce. Won't take us long to track them down."

"O-okay…" she whispered.

Suddenly Gajeel hurried over, barely pausing to look at everyone before turning to his wife. "Levy, I can't find Lily. Ya didn't happen to see where he went did ya?"

"No…" Levy said, finally looking up from the scowl she'd been giving Emma for the past few minutes. Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Oh, he must've followed the kids!"

"Kids? What kids?" Gajeel asked.

"If Lily is with them I'm sure they are fine," Levy said, ignoring her husband and turning back to Lucy and Erza.

Of that Lucy had no doubt. She'd seen how protective Lily was over Emma and Reiki and now Haru to know that he likely followed after them out of sheer loyalty and wouldn't let a scratch befall them. It was comforting and certainly a step up from the two boys being lost alone in the woods. But they were still lost…

"We have to hurry," Lucy said. "Hakobe Forrest is so big it could take hours to find them."

"Not if they headed east," Natsu said.

Lucy looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Some distance away, Haru rushed after Reiki through the dense woods. Reiki was a lot faster since he didn't have to wear the big dragon head and his backpack wasn't as full as Haru's. "Reiki! Wait!" he called and Reiki slowed to a stop in a small patch of grass that was surrounded by thick bushes and huge trees that Haru thought looked like dinosaur legs when he ran past them.

"Sorry," Reiki said as soon as they caught their breath. "I didn't want my mom to get us before we were far away. She's _really_ good catching me or my dad, especially when we're doing something we shouldn't."

Haru nodded. His mom was good at doing that too. They were only able to run off because his aunt did something and then everyone was yelling about her and the baby (Haru wasn't sure what she did but it looked like she'd used the bathroom or something). Reiki had grabbed Haru's arm and tugged him towards the woods, telling him to hurry while everyone was distracted. It was a good plan. Better than Haru's and Emma's to wear a mask and sneak off like ninja's in the grass.

At the thought of Emma Haru blinked and looked around. "Emma's not here," he said.

Reiki sighed and tugged one of his metal arm bands back up his arm. "Yeah. I couldn't talk to her when we started to run. I'm sure she's okay, though. She was with her mom when Mrs. Dragneel started yelling."

Haru nodded but he frowned and started tugging at his shirt. He and Reiki and Emma were supposed to look for the dragon together. Like a team. But Reiki was right, they couldn't have gotten Emma since she was with her mom when they snuck off. Haru just hoped she wasn't too sad. Or mad. Emma had _really_ wanted to help and since she was the princess she was really important, too.

Haru took a deep breath and looked up at his best friend, clenching his fist as he said, "Well, we'll just have to bring Emma back to meet the dragon after we become his friends. We'll find him today and then you and me can give him the dragon costume and we'll promise to come back with our princess."

Reiki nodded but he glanced over Haru's shoulder at bit at his lip. "Yeah, okay…I just wish Emma was with us. She's really smart and could help us track the dragon…"

"Can _you_ track the dragon?" Haru asked.

Reiki nodded. "Yeah. My dad taught me how to track animals and a dragon may be good at hide and seek but they still leave foot prints."

"What if he flies everywhere?"

Reiki frowned and scratched his head. "Well, we know he likes water and caves so we can just track those down instead."

Haru blinked. "You can track water?"

Reiki nodded. "Sure. You just have to go downhill cause that's where all the water goes when it rains and then it collects into a stream that flows into a river."

Haru grinned and lunged forward to give his friend a hug. "Reiki! You're a genius!"

"It's just the water cycle," Reiki mumbled into Haru's dragon head.

Haru laughed and pulled back before crouching down to pull the anchovies out of his backpack. "Okay. Then let's go."

They walked through the woods a bit longer before Reiki tugged at Haru's sleeve to show him they were near a hill. "See. Now we just follow the hill down and at the bottom there should be water."

Haru grinned. "That's so cool."

Reiki chuckled and they started down the hill. It got a bit steep and after Haru tripped twice Reiki held his hand so it was easier. "This wouldn't be so hard without the dragon head," Haru grumbled.

"Yeah. My arm bands keep sliding off. It's really annoying," Reiki said, trying to shove one back up his arm without letting go of Haru's hand. The hill was really steep now and they both had to grab onto trees as they passed. It took a while but they finally made it to the bottom and just like Reiki said there was a very small stream. Reiki pointed to the right and they followed the winding stream through the woods until it started to get bigger and bigger. The longer they walked the more Haru began to hear something. It was like a roar that lasted forever and got louder the closer they got to whatever it was.

"You hear that?" Haru asked.

Reiki nodded. "Yeah. It's the river. My mom and dad always take me to see it when we go hiking. It's really big and I'll bet the dragon goes there a lot."

They didn't have to walk much more before the river's roar was so loud Haru thought it was right next to him. It echoed around the tall trees and Haru was glad he had his dragon head on to help stop the noise. They shoved through a thick patch of bushes and stumbled to a halt on a patch of rocky pebbles the size of Haru's fist by the river. And the river was _big_. It stretched out as wide as Haru's _whole house_. Maybe bigger. And was really fast and it looked deep too. The trees lined the river a ways back, leaving the rocky beach open and clear. Definitely the place for a dragon to go.

"Woah…" Haru gasped and Reiki nodded in agreement. "This place is huge. And so cool."

"We can wait here for the dragon, if you want," Reiki said. "I'll bet he's coming soon, since it's so hot."

Haru opened his mouth to say they should when the bushes behind them began to rustle. Haru and Reiki both gasped and jumped back from the bushes, reaching out to grab each other's hand. Haru stared wide-eyed at the bushes. _This is it_ , he thought. _This is the dragon_.

The bushes gave one final, hard shake and then out stepped Lily. His dark black fur was a little muddy on his legs and there were large, green burrs stuck to his back and sides but as soon as he saw Haru and Reiki he gave a deep huff and trotted over to them.

"Lily?" he and Reiki said together.

"What are you doing here?" Haru asked, reaching out to pull the few burrs from Lily's neck and back.

"He must have followed us," Reiki said, stepping up on the other side of Haru to help take off the burrs. "I didn't even think he would do that. He usually only stays with Emma."

Haru knelt down to get the many burrs on Lily's belly. "So what now? Can he stay with us?"

Reiki nodded. "I think so. He won't chase away the dragon…I think. He's always really good with other animals."

Pulling the final burr off Lily's belly, Haru stood, crossed his arms and gave a firm nod. "Okay. Then we'll just wait here for…" He trailed off as he looked over at Reiki and finally noticed the old bridge behind him a little ways up the river. "What's that?" he asked, pointing over Reiki's shoulder.

He turned and frowned. "A bridge, but I don't know why it's here. We're not close to any trails…"

Haru started towards it, Reiki hurrying after him with Lily close behind. "Let's go check it out!"

The closer they got the more Haru realized the bridge wasn't very good. The wood was cracked and splintered and moss was growing over the bottom. The rope that lined the top between the poles was really old looking and even broken completely in some spots. A few vines that hung from the biggest trees close by had reached out to grab at the rails and the whole thing smelled like water and old dirt.

Beside him, Reiki frowned. "That's not the bridge me and my mom and dad cross," he said.

Haru thought it looked like something right out of his favorite stories where the brave hero would be on the trail of some bad guy or monster. "That's it!" he cried and grabbed Reiki's arm. "The dragon has to be across the bridge! It's probably a _special_ bridge and that's why it looks so old and is in the middle of nowhere. It's magic."

Reiki twisted his lips as he thought about it. "Maybe…but is it safe to cross?"

"Sure." Haru paused and looked over at Reiki. "Umm…who goes first?"

Reiki frowned and looked them both over. "You should go first. You're shorter then me so you'll be lighter. And I have the knight costume on."

Haru frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "'M not that short," he grumbled.

Reiki smiled softly and gave his shoulder a gentle push. "Just go."

The bridge wasn't as scary to cross as it looked. It barely wobbled as Haru slowly shuffled across but it was slippery. The moss that covered the bottom was wet and Haru was scared he'd slip and fall over the edge into the water. He clung to the rope and vines around him and once his dragon head got stuck on a dead branch caught on the side of the bridge but he got it off and only slipped a little bit. He moved slowly and once he was across he turned and waved back at Reiki. "Okay! You can come over now!" he called.

Reiki didn't take as long as Haru did and he didn't get caught on anything but he did slip on the last step and fall into the big rocky beach really hard. "Ow!" he gasped, reaching up to rub at a scrap on his elbow.

Haru dropped down beside him and looked at his arm. "It…doesn't look bad."

Reiki rubbed it a little more before standing and saying he was okay. By that time Lily had made his way over the bridge and followed after them as they headed towards the woods. After crossing the magic bridge Haru was sure the dragon was close by. They just had to find the perfect spot or his cave and then he could ask for his wish. He led Reiki and now Lily through the woods until they broke through some bushes into a huge meadow filled with flowers.

"Woah…" they said, looking around at all the flowers with wide eyes. Even Lily stepped forwards to sniff a big yellow flower.

There were all kinds of flowers. Blue ones, red ones, yellow ones, orange ones and even a few that looked purple. It was amazing and the absolute, _perfect_ place for a dragon to be. "This is it!" Haru said. "This is where the dragon will be! I just know it."

Reiki nodded and slipped his backpack from his shoulder. "I think so too. We should just wait and he'll be here soon."

Haru dropped his own backpack and they sat down around the flowers and tall grass. It was so high that once they sat down it came up to their chins. Reiki dug around in his backpack and pulled out a small bag of cookies.

"You brought snacks?" Haru asked, blinking at the small bag. He only then noticed how hungry he was. They didn't have time to eat the hotdogs Emma's dad and grandpa were making cause they were too busy thinking of a plan.

Reiki grinned and tore open the bag. "Yep. I thought we would have to wait for a while. Here." He held out the bag and Haru reached in and pulled out three cookies, leaving four still in the bag.

They ate them really fast, and Reiki split the last one in half before folding the bag and putting it back in his backpack. As he finished his last cookie, Haru looked around at the meadow. It was like they were hiding and Haru snickered at how cool it was. "It's like we're ninja's hiding from the evil samurai."

Reiki smiled and settled back against Lily's side. "Or little fairies."

Haru paused and looked over at him. "You think there are fairies here?"

"Sure," Reiki said. They paused and looked at each other then jumped to their feet and rushed further into the meadow looking for any small fairies they could find.

After a while Haru was crawling around through the tall flowers when he saw something poking up from the ground. He reached out and pulled up a gold stick with a crescent moon on the end. It was pretty and even with all the mud on it, it sparkled as he turned it round and round. "Hey, Reiki! Come see this!"

Reiki came rushing over from the other side of the meadow with Lily close behind and squatted down next to Haru. "Oh! You found a hair pin."

"What's that?" Haru asked.

"It's what a lady will use to keep her hair up. My mom has several, some with pretty jewels on them and some that are just plain looking. You found a pretty one, though." He frowned and looked around. "I don't know why it would be here…"

"Maybe it's the dragons."

"Dragon's don't have hair, Haru."

"I know, but it's gold and dragons like gold. Natsu said the dragon that saved him had a big cave filled with gold. Maybe this is his and he dropped it. Or the sprites stole it."

Reiki raised his eyebrows and tilted his head to the side. "Mr. Natsu's seen a dragon?"

"Yeah. He didn't tell you about it?"

Reiki shook his head, "No."

Haru started to say something when a shadow suddenly appeared over him and Reiki. His eyes went wide and when he looked at Reiki his best friend was staring back at him with his mouth hanging open. "Well, what are you two doing here?" someone said beside them. Slowly, Haru and Reiki looked up and blinked at a tall, thin, old woman with red eyes and pink hair pulled into a tight bun. She was frowning down at them in a way that had both boys huddling close together and Haru wondered if Lily would keep them safe like Emma always said he would. "Who are you? Where are your parents?" she demanded, bending down slightly and Haru saw a glittering crescent moom hair pin stuck in her bun.

He gasped and held the pin closer to his chest, not wanting to lose one of his new treasures.

The old woman looked over at Lily sitting next to Reiki and narrowed her eyes. "I see…" she murmured then looked back at the two boys with a deep frown. "Right. You two come with me."

"Haru," Reiki whispered as they followed the old woman through the woods. He reached over and tugged at Haru's sleeve, keeping their heads close. "I think we need a new plan."

"Why?" he whispered back.

"Cause I think we just found a witch."


	11. Chapter 11: A New Baby

**Disclaimer: All rights of Fairy Tail go to Hiro Mashima. I do not own this.**

Chapter 11: A New Baby

Haru tried not to fidget in the big chair he sat in with Reiki, he really did, but the witch's house was just _so cool_. All around there were plants hanging from the high ceiling beams or shoved onto the long table in the corner in big pots and bottles filled with different types of dirt and leaves that clanked together overhead. Some plants were as big as Haru! The whole place looked like a garden and Haru couldn't help giggling as soon as they'd walked in because who would put a garden in a house? The rest of the walls were full of overflowing bookshelves and big windows that made the whole place very light and airy. There was even a window on the ceiling!

The coolest part was the high table in the center of the room that had lots of bottles and small bowls full of spices and other magic things that Haru really wanted to look at. The whole place smelled like flowers and spice and wood and a little bit of something else that Haru didn't know but he liked it anyway.

 _Warm_ , he decided. _It smells warm_.

The witch's house was small too. Smaller than Haru's new house and stuck under a huge tree outside with its roots hanging over the roof and a few that had managed to creep in between the walls. She definitely was a powerful witch to make her tiny house hold so much stuff. There weren't many chairs though, only the big leather one that reminded Haru of his grandpa's chair at home and the two wood ones by a desk stuffed with papers in the corner, but they looked like they would break if Haru sat on them.

The witch had taken one look at Haru and Reiki when they'd walked into her home and pointed to the big chair and said, "Sit."

They'd hurried into the chair and shoved each other a little to get in before settling back with the three small pillows already stuffed in the chair. Haru had leaned closer to Reiki but his best friend didn't seem to mind cause he just pressed his shoulder to Haru's and did his best to sit up straight in the big, cramped chair. Lily had walked after them and laid down next to their bags and Haru's dragon head and Reiki's knight helmet at their feet and Haru figured that if Lily was okay then maybe they weren't in trouble.

The witch had put some green slimy, goo on Reiki's elbow then gave them both some warm tea and told them to wait there while she went into another room. That was a while ago and Haru was starting to get bored.

Haru sipped the tea as he looked around the room again, trying to see if he could spot anything really magic-ish. He'd seen some really blue mushrooms outside by the front door but the witch had snapped at him not to drag his feet when he'd tried to look at them and he didn't her to, like, turn him into a frog. Haru thought she was maybe a good witch but she was still a witch.

Beside him Reiki sighed. "Stop moving, Haru. There's not a lot of room and you're gonna spill your tea."

"Does that jar look like it has eyeballs in it?" Haru asked, ignoring his best friend and pointed to a fat jar hanging from the ceiling.

Reiki sighed but looked up. "No. It looks like teeth, now sit still and drink your tea."

Haru frowned but drank his tea. It was sweet and reminded Haru of berries. He turned in the chair and peeked over the high arm to look at the plants along the far table. One plant actually moved and snapped its toothy jaws closed over a fly that landed on it. Haru gasped and was just about to tell Reiki when the witch walked back in from the other room and moved over to pour herself a cup of tea from the pot on the stove.

She didn't say anything for a while and Haru and Reiki only sat and stared at her. Well, Haru stared. Reiki kept taking polite sips from his tea and looking at the books nearby. It wasn't too long before Haru started to squirm in his seat again. He shifted around and tried to focus on something cool in the house but the witch was right there and Haru _really_ wanted to ask her some questions.

"Umm…excuse me?" Haru asked and the old lady turned to glance over at him with a raised eyebrow. "Uh…I don't know your name…" he mumbled.

The witch snorted. "Speak up, boy! If you have a question ask clearly."

"W-what's your name? Uh…mam," He said again, louder this time.

"Porlyusica. And you are Haru Heartfilia and Reiki Fernandes."

Both boys blinked and looked up at her with wide eyes. "You know our names?" Reiki asked in awe.

Porlyusica snorted. "Of course. I've already called my grandson and he told me your parents will be here shortly. All the better as you two are in my way," she hissed and walked over to the tall table.

"You have a family?" Haru gasped. He'd thought all witches lived alone with a crow or maybe a cat for company.

"Haru!" Reiki snapped and elbowed his side, hard. "That's rude! And you can't be mean to someone when you're their guest."

Haru ducked his head, looking at the tea in his hands. "Sorry. I just meant I've never heard of a witch having a family before…"

The witch snorted and Haru peeked up at her. She was adding some gray powder to a bowl with white flower petals and some red berries in it. "A witch. Never in my day…" she murmured before turning to look at the two boys with a stern frown but amused eyes. "I'm not a witch, boy. I'm the best natural healer in this tiny town and you should listen to your friend about manners." She huffed and turned back to her bowl, crushing the different things together into a mushy paste. "I'll have to have a talk with your parents. Calling someone a witch? Ha!"

Haru squirmed in the chair and tried to hide a little between the pillows and Reiki. So this lady wasn't a witch but that didn't mean she wasn't cool. Or that the jar above didn't have eyeballs in it…

"Umm…Mrs. Porlyusica? Are those eyeballs in that jar?"

The lady frowned and turned to look back at him but the amusement was still in her eyes. She glanced up at the jar and sighed. "Of course not. Those are star berries. They help your hearing get better. I use them in an ear infection tonic that I make but there are accounts where they can help a deaf person hear again. Though it isn't by much."

Haru gasped. Those sounded a lot cooler than eyeballs. Porlyusica turned back to her bowl and kept mixing while adding a splash of water and more powder, this time a blue kind. "What are you making?" Haru asked.

Porlyusica glanced at him over her shoulder. "You are quite nosy. I hate nosy people." She huffed and turned back to her bowl. "It's a healing paste I need to give to someone. It will help them recover and gain their energy back quicker than any pills some ignorant doctor gives them."

"How do you use it?" Haru asked and Reiki gave him a pointed look.

"You rube it on your face, like a clay mask. Now hush! I need to concentrate."

Haru sighed and settled back in his chair a little, sipping on his tea and watching the old lady closely. She was focused on her paste thing and wasn't facing them but Haru was sure she was still watching them. Haru frowned and glanced around the house.

"Soooo…why do you live in a tree if you're not a witch?"

Porlyusica sighed and glanced over at him and Reiki and narrowed her eyes.

Natsu sighed as he hung up his cell from talking with his grandma. He'd been right thinking Haru and Reiki would likely run into her and Natsu had never been more relieved to have Porlyusica nagging in his ear. Really, he was just glad she'd let him and Gajeel install the landline two years back. She'd always lived far into the woods on a small plot of land that had been in their family since Magnolia was founded, and since his grandma didn't have much reason to head into town she'd never bothered with a phone.

It wasn't until two years ago when Igneel had an accident that Porlyusica finally let her grandsons "clutter up her house with such a horrible device", as she'd put it. Though she'd complained about the whole process Natsu knew she'd taken care to call his mother every night to keep tabs on her family and Porlyusica would still call him every now and then too. Mostly to berate him on working too hard or to nag him to eat more celery (and Natsu _refused_ to admit his diet would take a sharp turn to the health department after those calls).

He shuddered at the thought of his grandma dragging Haru and Reiki through the forest by the ear while lecturing them on "proper behavior" the whole way back to the nearest payphone in the park. She'd done that enough to him and Gajeel when they were kids and Natsu knew it was never a good way to end the day. At least Haru and Reiki would only be dragged to her house by the ear.

Of course, she could be just as nice to the boys as she was to Wendy and Emma. Fussing over them in her own way and making them tea and cookies, despite acting put out by it all. Natsu smiled to himself. It would be just like Haru to wiggle his way into Porlyusica's good graces. Kid was impossible not to like and Reiki was just so polite and well-mannered his grandma was likely to be impressed, even if only a little. Though Natsu had seen Reiki start to come out of his shell a bit more around Haru as of late. Kid actually called him Natsu once, but then looked so shocked and disturbed he'd called him Mr. Dragneel for the rest of the week.

Still, small steps.

"What did your grandmother say about Haru and Reiki? That was her right? Did she find them? Are they alright?" Lucy babbled close behind him. She hadn't let go of his arm since they'd all started through the woods and no doubt had been listening in on his call.

"Yeah, she found 'em. Had a few choice words to say to me about them being in her favorite meadow though. Said they tore up some perfectly good flowers. Ruckus, I think was the word she used?" He turned and gave Lucy a big grin. "But they're fine. Reiki got a scrape on his arm but my grandma's the best natural healer in all of Fiore so he's in good hands."

"Reiki is hurt?" Erza demanded just in front of them. She and Jellal followed close behind Gajeel, too close from how much Gajeel was ranting under his breath. After Emma managed to explain what she and the boys had planned through her tears, Levy had been _pissed_ and nearly threated Gajeel to track the boys down himself. He was the best tracker in Fiore and honestly, the boys weren't that hard to follow, but that didn't stop Erza from insisting she oversee Gajeel and the tracking anyway. Jellal had done his best to keep both Erza and Gajeel calm but Natsu could see his cousin's hands clench into a fist every time Erza asked if he was sure a footprint was from the boys and not some animal.

Natsu waved Erza off. "Just a small scrape, Erza. Nothin' he hasn't gotten from fallin' off his bike." At Erza's slight pout Natsu smirked. "Gran's already put a healing paste on it. Kid won't get another infection for at least a year."

Erza gave him a small smile before turning and resuming her hovering over Gajeel. Natsu felt his smile fall as soon as she looked away and he focused on watching where he was going. Even with Gajeel's large frame clearing a path Hakobe Forest was filled with vines and upturned roots. People were warned not to leave the regulated trails for just that reason. Natsu wasn't gonna point out how lucky the boys were to not have gotten a sprained ankle. Or worse.

Beside him, Lucy gripped his arm tighter as she stumbled over a root, nearly taking Natsu down too. He turned and put an arm around her shoulders to help steady her. "Careful, Luce," he chuckled.

She sighed and made a show of watching the ground while linking their arms a little better. "Thanks, Natsu. For all of this, I mean. I know I'm not always…the calmest in situations like this… But with you here I just…I feel so much better. So, thank you." She gave him a soft smile and Natsu nearly stumbled himself.

He smiled and gave her arm a slight squeeze but quickly focused back on the forest floor. He'd been awfully quiet since they started their trek into the woods but he couldn't help but feel like this was mostly his fault. If he hadn't talked up his dragon story so much Haru probably wouldn't have wandered off with Reiki. If he'd been responsible and not blown up a child's imagination too much then Haru would be okay. At the least Natsu should have said something about the dragon only talking to him or that the forest was enchanted to only let him walk off trail. Something. At least then Haru would have insisted on going dragon hunting with him, and Natsu would have been more than happy to go for a walk with the boys.

Worst of all was thinking about what he'd tell Lucy, because he certainly had to tell her. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Despite the slight crease in her brow she had a fierce look of determination in her eye and her shoulders where squared as she marched over the uneven ground. She looked strong and ready to charge through a wall of fire to get her son back. Yeah…telling her this was his fault would not be easy.

They were at the river now, the roar of the rushing water was almost deafening as Gajeel pushed through a patch of dense bushes, only pausing to hold the thicker branches back at the last moment for the rest of them to step out at the river's edge. Lucy gasped and her hand tightened around Natsu's arm. "I didn't realize the river would be so full, or fast. Thank Mavis they didn't fall in," she sighed, and shared a relieved glance with Erza.

"Reiki knows not to get too close to the river this time of year," Jellal said. "And as it appears this was where Lily caught up to them I doubt he'd let the boys within ten feet of the water anyway." He pointed down to the overlapping footprints of both of the boys and Lily.

Gajeel grunted as he already started walking down the beach. "Well, in any case, we should get goin'. Gran's a bit much to deal with even in her best moods. Doubt she's too please the kids bothered her."

"She can't be that bad. Right?" Lucy looked up at Natsu and he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I mean, she tends to nag a lot-"

Gajeel snorted. "Yeah, nag. She once ripped the screen door off dad's house cause it swung back and hit her ass. Then yelled at him about not fixin' it right and made _me_ install a new door." He turned and gave Lucy a dark grin. "That was thanksgivin' too."

"Well, I doubt she ripped off her own door in front of the boys," Natsu muttered. Beside him, Lucy looked both amused and horrified, a common feeling most people had when meeting his grandma for the first time.

"Is _that_ the bridge?" Erza asked. "It looks nearly rotten!"

Jellal turned and raised an eyebrow at Natsu. "You let your grandma walk over this?"

Natsu frowned and jabbed a finger at him. "First of all, nobody "lets Gran" do anything. Second, she hasn't used this bridge in years since the east road was finally paved. And third, she'd make me and Gajeel fix the damn thing so I'll be damned if I remind her about it!"

Lucy laughed beside him and even Erza chuckled. They hurried over to the bridge, carefully crossing over the slick boards one at a time. Despite his earlier protests, Natsu made a mental note to come back and replace most of the boards later. His grandma hardly used this bridge anymore, sticking to the roads farther south when she did head into town, but it was quite unsafe. Natsu felt a little awed at Haru's good luck as he slipped twice himself.

The walk from the river to his grandma's house wasn't far and Natsu found his mind drifting to how he'd talk to Lucy later. Of course he knew deep down that Lucy would understand that he hadn't meant any harm but maybe she wouldn't trust him with Haru anymore. Wouldn't trust him at _all_. Maybe…

"Natsu." Lucy gave his arm a slight shake, pulling him out of his thoughts. It was only then that he realized she'd been saying something to him. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"What? Oh, yeah I'm fine. Sorry. What were ya sayin'?"

She paused and bit her lip for a moment, looking him over. "I asked if you would still be willing to drive us to Onibus. I mean, I'd understand if you changed your mind-"

"Of course!" He said, a little too quickly and _a lot_ too loudly, based on Jellal's glance over at them. And when had he and Lucy fallen so far behind? He cleared his throat and made sure to lower his voice. "Yeah, that's no problem. Did you still want to swing by Sting's place and get those bags?"

Lucy eyed him closely. "No. I don't think we'll have time for that anymore. I don't want to miss my little nephew's birth… Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine," he said with a small smile. "Just…I'm sorry about what happened. I mean, there were so many of us there. We should've kept a better eye on them while you were helping Yukino."

Lucy smiled softly and gave his arm another squeeze. "You were worried about Yukino. So was I, and everyone else for that matter!" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "The boys snuck off when we were all distracted. Emma said that was what they'd planned to do from the beginning. Besides, if this is anyone's fault it's mine."

Natsu was about to ask her what she meant by that when Gajeel shoved open the small gate that lined their grandma's property and started up the path with Erza hot on his heels. He hadn't realized they were so close. Lucy sped up her pace, nearly dragging Natsu up to the patio.

He and Lucy had barely reached the steps when the door flew open and Porlyusica stood there, eyes narrowed, lips twisted into a deep scowl and Natsu thought he saw one of her eyebrows twitching. Which was definitely not good.

"Hey, Gran," he said, slipping forward to give his grandma a quick kiss on the cheek. She at least kissed his cheek back so maybe she wasn't as pissed as he'd thought. "Sorry to bother you like this. I hope the boys weren't too much trouble." And fuck if that didn't sound like what Levy said when she dropped Emma off at his parent's house.

Porlyusica sniffed and turned sharply on her heel but motioned for them to follow. Natsu leaned over to Lucy and quickly whispered, "Wipe your feet, Luce," before hurrying after the old woman. She was already ranting about the boys, Natsu's poor manners over the phone and flowers that had weak stems. Because _that_ was the real issue here.

"-and to be called a witch, of all things! I have never had two children act so poorly in all my days. See, this is why I live out here. To stay away from people like you, but apparently I can't even have some peace in my own home! Unbelievable. To insist someone must be a witch simply because they know more about _real_ medicine is just unthinkable."

"Of course, Gran," Natsu sighed.

"The boys called her a witch?" Lucy whispered to him. Natsu only shrugged.

"Mrs. Marvell," Erza said, easily sliding up to the old woman's side. "I am so sorry for any disturbance Reiki and Haru may have caused. But I really do want to thank you for bringing them back here and looking after them for us."

Porlyusica clicked her tongue as she led them from the doorway to the main room of the house. "Of course I brought them back here! What was I to do, leave them in my good meadow trampling perfectly good flowers? It was maddening."

Despite his grandma's frown, when they walked into the main room Haru and Reiki were sitting in the large plush chair together with more pillows than they needed, big cups of tea and they each had a large cookie that Natsu knew his grandma only gave out to those she deemed acceptable company. Both boys looked up and if it was possible shrank further into the pillows around them.

Lucy and Erza stormed across the room, leaning into the boys' space and demanding if they were okay and if they were hurt. Beside him, Jellal sighed and turned to Porlyusica to thank her again for helping the boys. Porlyusica huffed and seemed reluctant to admit that they weren't as bad as Natsu and Gajeel before launching into another triad but Natsu wasn't listening. He watched as Lucy drew Haru away from Reiki and Erza, quietly but firmly leaving the house. Natsu took one small step after them but hesitated. He wondered if now would be a good time to talk to Lucy but knew that this was a moment for a mother and her son.

Lucy guided Haru around the house beneath the large tree. She wanted to cry and scream and hold Haru tight against her chest and tell him that she was _sorry_. That his father wasn't coming back and at the same time she didn't want to crush that small bit of hope and wonder Haru had found again. More than anything Lucy wished her husband was still alive. That they'd never gone to that play. They'd never parked down the street and walked the few blocks to the theater. That her husband had never pushed that woman out of the way…

"Mom…? I'm...I...me and Reiki were just looking for the dragon. To get that wish. I-I didn't…it was a secret and I-I…I'm _sorry mom_ ," Haru sniffed, tears welling up in his wide eyes despite the terrified look on his face. It was only then that Lucy realized she was crying.

Wiping the tears quickly from her face, Lucy took a deep breath and knelt down in front of her son. "Haru. Sweetie. Do you remember what I told you before about what happened to daddy?"

Haru lowered his eyes and gave a shaky nod. "Y-you said...that...that he was d-dead. That he died in an a-accident."

"That's right. And you remember how I told you what that meant? That dad-" she broke off as her voice hitched over a soft sob. "That daddy wasn't alive anymore and he wouldn't be with us. Do you remember that?"

Haru nodded, looking so small and his tears were dragging slow tracks over his cheeks. Lucy reached up and cupped his cheek, wiping away the few tears there. "Sweetheart. Do you understand what that means?"

Haru was twisting his shirt so tightly Lucy thought it might rip but he gave a small shrug and murmured, "I guess… But, you said he would still be with us." Haru gripped his shirt over his heart and Lucy closed her eyes to stop another wave of tears. "That he loves us and will watch us from the stars. Like grandma and grandpa."

"Yes. Yes, I did say that, and _I do believe it's true_ , Haru. Your dad is always with us because he loves us and we love him. That will never change even though he's…he's dead." More than anything, Lucy wanted Haru to understand that losing his father didn't mean they no longer loved each other. Lucy had never been very religious one way or the other, but she did believe that even if a person's life ended their love never did. Love was magic, after all, and if anything could overcome death or continue on past it, it was love.

Haru looked up at her then, his dark eyes shining with tears and his lower lip wobbled. "But he can come back, right? I-If he's in the stars t-then he can…he can come home. Like the astronauts you wrote about."

"Haru-"

"He can come back, right mommy? The dragon can use magic and bring him back…"

Lucy shook her head and didn't bother to stop the few tears that fell down her cheeks. "Haru, he can't come back."

" _Why?_ " he sobbed and Lucy was sure her heart was breaking. Haru sounded so small and shattered and Lucy couldn't stand to watch him loose his love of life again. Not after he'd found it bit by bit in Magnolia.

"He can't come back, b-because…because when someone dies they are gone from this world, Haru. _No one_ can bring daddy back. Daddy died and while he is still with us in our hearts and memories he cannot come back to us." Haru stared up at her looking so lost and scared and sad and Lucy was struggling with how to explain this to him in a way he'd understand but not simply take away all his hope and love. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to steady herself. "Haru, do you remember what I said about magic at the lake?"

He paused and gave a small nod.

"Your dad will always be with you, Haru. It's his love that lives on, Haru." She reached out and cupped his cheek, lifting his head so he was looking at her again. "That's the magic, Haru. That even when someone dies they can still love you and you can still love them."

"Do you still love daddy?" he whispered.

"I will _always_ love daddy, Haru. That will never change. And you can love him too."

Haru looked at her for a moment before letting out a small sob. Lucy pulled him close and held him tight as he buried his face in her hair and cried. Lucy took in a shuttering breath and rubbed his back, hoping she had made the right decision. "Do you understand, Haru?" she asked.

"Daddy's not…d-daddy's gone and he won't come back. B-but…but he still loves me."

"He does Haru. He loves you so much. Don't ever think your dad doesn't love you, okay?"

Haru gave a slight nod and clutched Lucy's neck tighter. "I'll never have a dad again, right mom?"

Lucy opened her mouth to protest but stopped. Something like that would mean Lucy dating again and eventually marrying, and while she'd gone on a few dates with several men back in Crocus she wasn't sure she or Haru were ready for anything serious. At the very least Lucy wanted to wait to have this conversation when the answer was a bit more solid than 'maybe someday?'. For a brief moment Lucy found herself thinking of what her and Haru's future could be with another man in their lives and maybe more siblings for Haru to love. The thought of holding a baby with strawberry blond hair came to mind and when Lucy thought of the man at her side with Haru sitting proudly on his shoulders she thought of a bright grin, a booming laugh and dark eyes with flecks of green.

A flash of pink hair beside her stopped her from having to answer but when Lucy looked up expecting to see Natsu (hoping to see him, really) it was Porlyusica standing over them instead. Her lips were pressed into a grim line but her eyes were soft and kind. Lucy wrapped her arms tighter around Haru before picking him up. He sniffled and held onto her tighter while Lucy rubbed his back.

Porlyusica held a small pouch in her hands and held it out to Lucy. "I made you both tea."

"Oh. Thank you."

Porlyusica nodded as Lucy took the thermos. Her gaze flicked to Haru and Lucy noticed how soft her expression went for a moment before she turned back to Lucy with a frown. "It's my own blend. It will calm you both down and give you some energy back and will help you sleep tonight."

Lucy nodded. "Thank you. For the tea and helping Haru. I really do appreciate it and if there's anything I can do to repay you please just ask."

The old woman pursed her lips and huffed. "Come back Saturday and I'll have a special blend of tea for you. Don't be late," she snapped.

Before Lucy could ask what time she was supposed to be there Porlyusica turned sharply on her heel and strode back to her house. She passed by Natsu as he made his way over to them, pausing for a moment to exchange a quick kiss on each other's cheek. Natsu looked over at Lucy and hesitated for a moment before walking over. He had Haru's bag slung over one shoulder and was carrying his dragon head along with a jar of some sort of gray paste.

"Hey, Luce. We're ready to head back whenever you are."

Lucy nodded. "Of course. Thanks."

Haru peeked up at Natsu and gave a small, "Hi Natsu."

Natsu smiled down at him. "Hey little man. You okay?"

Haru shrugged before burying his face back in Lucy's shoulder and remaining quiet for the walk back to the park. Once they arrived back at the parking lot everyone said a quick, if somewhat somber goodbye, before hurrying to their cars to meet up at the hospital. Jellal insisted he'd take Yukino's van since Lucy wasn't in much of a state to drive and Lucy could only nod in a silent thanks.

"You're still coming?" Lucy asked Erza and Levy.

"Of course," Erza said. "Might as well given half the town's probably waiting there."

"That and there's a bet on whether the baby will look more like Yukino or Sting." She smirked and Lucy felt a bit of her stress fade at the comfort of being with her two closest friends. "I'm betting he'll have Yukino's silver hair and dark eyes."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at them. "You bet on my nephew's looks?"

Erza sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Gambling is an unfortunate side-affect to spending so much time at Fairy Tail."

Lucy tried to smile but Erza simply looked at her like she understood and Levy placed a hand on her shoulder before they hurried off to their cars. Natsu had already packed away their bags in his truck and was waiting patiently in the driver's seat. Despite Natsu's truck having a back seat, Lucy opted to sit up front with Haru in-between her and Natsu. Haru buried his face in her side while she ran her fingers through his hair. Natsu turned the radio on but kept it low. Something to fill the silence but not too loud that Lucy or Haru couldn't calm down.

They were about half way to Onibus when Natsu said, "Hey, did I ever tell you about the time I made some girls puke at the movie theater?"

Lucy and Haru both looked over at him like he'd gone insane. "Uh...no," Haru said.

Natsu grinned. "Ho boy, it's a good one. Ya wanna hear it?"

"Is it gross?" Haru asked.

"A little."

"...Okay."

Lucy soon found herself smiling and even Haru had sat up a bit more against her side as he smiled and giggled at Natsu's story. Apparently, by saying he made a group of girls throw up Natsu meant literally that. The local movie theater in Magnolia was an old theater club that had been repurposed years back but it still looked very much like an old opera house. Especially in the main theater room. It still had box seats that looked over the main seating area below, which was exactly what a fifteen year old Natsu Dragneel was counting on when he planned his little prank. That and for a rather gorey movie to be showing.

All he'd needed to do was sit in the box seat, wait for an exceptionally bloody scene and then give a loud and dramatic heave as he tipped a can of chunky vegetable soup into the seats below.

"There were a group of girls about my age below me, and they all threw up when that soup hit em."

"That's aweful," Lucy said.

"That's great," Haru said.

Natsu gave him a mischevious grin. "Yeah. But it did get me banned from the theater. Haven't been allowed back in since."

Lucy watched him as he talked, his eyes flicking from the road to her and Haru, and she felt a surge of warmth for the man at her side. How he was able to brighten their mood, even a little, by simply telling a story. He seemed to always know what they needed and Lucy had never been more thankful for a silly story about boys being boys.

The drive to the hospital went faster than Lucy expected. By the time Natsu was pulling into the visitor parking lot Haru had stopped crying all together but he still looked sad and a little tired. Lucy felt like she'd been through the emotional ringer herself, not really the best way to witness her nephew's birth but what could you do?

Lucy slid out of the truck and turned to get Haru who already had his arms raised, ready to be carried in. Lucy sighed when Haru immediately buried his face in her hair. She hoped he'd be a bit happier when he met the new baby. This was supposed to be a happy day after all. They hurried inside where Natsu bypassed the front receptionist to head down the hall where several elevators were. He pressed the up arrow to open the first elevator and when they stepped inside he hit level three.

"You certainly know your way around here?" Lucy said, raising an eyebrow.

Natsu shrugged and scratched at his cheek. "Well, mom would have to rush people here for all kinds of stuff, and she'd usually have to drag me and Wendy along when we were kids. She's the best small town doctor ever but accidents do happen and mom doesn't have an operating table, so, yeah..." He looked at her and smirked. "Most of the people mom had to bring here were pregnant women anyway. Drive's so long most mothers wanted her with them in case something happened on the way there, ya know?"

Lucy smiled and felt herself relax. She'd tried to text Sting on the way over but got no response. Natsu had called his sister and she assured them that Yukino was fine and was already in a private room with Sting and Grandeeney. She said the baby wasn't likely to arrive for a little while, since it was Yukino's first pregnancy, and that if they hurried they could be there when she had the baby. Still, it was nice to know her sister-in-law had been in good hands.

As soon as the elevator doors opened to the third floor Lucy was overwhelmed by the loud rumble of many people excitedly talking together. Lucy stepped out into the lobby and couldn't stop her gasp of surprise. Almost half the town was waiting amoung the chairs and stiff couches. Both baseball teams were there and Lucy spotted nearly the whole staff form Sabretooth along with many others. "I knew a lot of people said they would come but I didn't think there wold be this many," she said.

Natsu shrugged. "Sting and Yukino are a big part of the Magnolian family. Same thing happened when Erza had Reiki. People care about them and want to welcome the baby into Magnolia."

"Lucy!" Rouge hurried over to them from the crowd. He'd pulled his long hair back into a small bun but already strands were falling loose like he'd run his hands through it several times. Something he only did when he was worried.

"Rouge! What's wrong? Is Yukino and Sting okay?"

"They're fine. Yukino had her baby about an hour ago."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What? She was only in labor for an hour?!" She heaved a sigh. "Figures," she mumbled. Of course Yukino woulnd't be in labor for long. Perfect woman had been the definition of the "glowing mother-to-be" with her shapely hips and never-swollen ankles. Lucy wouldn't be surprised if she hadn't even had one hair out of place after giving birth. _While I had to sweat out nearly twenty-four hours of labor_ , she thought.

"Well, technically it's been almost three hours," Rouge said, then his brow creased with worry. "Everything went fine and the baby's perfectly healthy, but I guess Yukino almost passed out right after delivering the baby."

"What?" Lucy gasped, one hand automatically reaching over to Natsu's.

"She's fine now," Rouge assured her. "The doctor's said it was a hemorrhage but it wasn't too severe. She only had a hard time recovering since her labor was so fast."

Lucy sighed and closed her eyes. "How's Sting?"

Rouge pausedand glanced at Haru before lowering his voice. "He's okay now. The doctor's rushed him out of the room before he really got a chance to see the baby or Yukino. Once they had her bleeding under control and she was stable they told him she needed to rest for a bit."

Lucy sighed. Evedently her and Haru weren't the only ones to have an emotional rollar coster today. "Where is he now?" she asked.

Rouge jerked his chin down the hall. "Memorizing his son's face, probably. With Yukino resting the nurses took the baby to the nursery. Sting's there now."

Lucy smiled. "I'll go see him, then." She turned to Natsu, "Natsu, would you-"

"I'll watch him, Luce. Won't let him outta my sight," he said, nodding to Haru.

Lucy gave Natsu a grateful smile. "Thanks." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her head. She had to check on her brother and make sure he was okay after his son's birth. She could come back to her and Haru's baggage later, really sit down and talk with him, but now her brother needed her. And if she was honest, Lucy needed to be with Sting for a bit too. He was her person, after all, and she knew he'd take one look at her and know what she needed, even if she wasn't so sure what that was herself.

Slowly, she kneeled down and put Haru on the ground before her. He blinked up at her curiously but his hands were still twisting his shirt. Not as hard, Lucy was glad to see, but enough to show how frazzled he still was.

"Haru, sweetie. I need to go talk to Uncle Sting. And I need you to _stay with Natsu_." She gave him a pointed look and Haru gave a meek nod.

"Okay, mom."

She smiled and kissed his forehead. "If you need me for anything, Haru, tell Natsu and he'll take you to me, okay?"

"Okay."

Lucy pressed her lips together. She wasn't sure what else to say to her son. She'd explained on the drive that Yukino was going to have her baby and Haru would have a little cousin, and while he'd been a little excited and had asked a few questions it was nothing like the usual high level of curiosity he typically showed. For the past month he'd been asking Yukino and Lucy every question he could think of about the baby. This was nothing like that.

"Alright, then." She pulled him into a tight hug and kissed his hair. "I love you, Haru. So very much."

"I love you too, mom," he whispered.

She held him for a bit longer, letting him cling to her until he was ready to pull back. He turned to Natsu, and just like on the night Plue had her puppies, Haru raised his arms and reached for Natsu to pick him up. The man smiled softly and scooped Haru up, rubbing soothing circles on his back while Haru laid his head on Natsu's shoulder.

For a brief moment Lucy could only stare at them as her mind flashed back to her earlier thoughts about having another partner in the future. Knowing that was a thought she'd have to come back to later, she gave Haru one last kiss to his cheek, gave Natsu's arm a squeeze before following Rouge down the hall to the nursery.

Sting was in love. There was no other way to describe this feeling he'd had since he'd seen his beautiful son. And Mavis, was their son _beautiful_. He had Yukino's pale skin and from the small patch of hair on his head he had her silver hair too. His eyes were a light blue like all newborns and Sting couldn't wait to see if they darkened to a deep blue like his or switched to a warm brown like Yukino's. A part of Sting hoped his son at least had his eyes, though if he looked like a carbon copy of Yukino, Sting wouldn't complain.

He had barely gotten a glimpse of his son when he first came out before he was swallowed up in the sea of nurses quickly fussing over him. But that short glimpse was all he needed to know he would never love anyone as fiercly as his boy. Sting had grinned wide, chest swelling and breath catching, and all he could focus on was the sound of his son's cries before he turned to Yukino, ready to kiss her and tell her she was so incredible and strong and how much he loved her, only to turn and watch her eyes flutter closed as she slumped back into the pillows unconscious.

Everything seemed to blur then. Sting could barely remember Grandeeney guiding him out of the room to sit down while the doctor shouted orders and a nurse hurried their son from the room. He'd felt numb until his panic started to rise and by then Yukino was off to another room and he didn't know where his son was. At that point all he'd wanted was to talk to his sister. She'd know what to say. But Lucy wasn't at the hospital and Sting couldn't find his phone to call her. It hadn't occured to him to ask for someone else's phone. Rouge had sat with him while Grandeeney went off to find out what was happening and Sting's mind was fuzzy and his chest cold.

 _"A hemorrhage,"_ she'd said.

Sting had read about them in the pregnancy books he had. Yukino had lost too much blood and passed out, likely because she'd had the baby so fast. But thankfully she hadn't needed surgery, just some fluids and blood transfusions. Grandeeney assured him Yukino would be fine but he still felt the treamors in his fingers that had started when he'd last seen her. That was about an hour ago. At least, he thought it was.

The doctor had told him Yukino was doing fine but she needed time to rest and he'd have to wait to see her. He'd gone to the nursery after and hadn't left his post since.

"Your mom's amazing," he said, pressing a hand to the nursery window and staring down at his son. He was wrapped up tight in a blue and white blanket that left only his little face and one teeny tiny finger curled over the top of the blanket visable.

He was so _small_. Did people even realize how small a baby was when it was born? And Yuki had been past due!

"Amazing," he murmured, thinking of his wife.

"There you are," Lucy murmured and Sting nearly sagged with relief at hearing his sister's voice. She slid up next to him and looped her arm through his. He took her free hand and held it tight, trying to stop the treamors he still felt. If she noticed she didn't say anything.

"So, which one's yours?" she finally asked.

"You're late," he huffed, but really couldn't be mad. Not while looking at his son.

Lucy sighed and leaned against his side, letting him lean against her as well. "I know. I'm sorry. Something happened..."

Sting paused and glanced over at her. Her lips were pursed and her brow creased but it was the puffy red spots under her eyes that told him she'd been crying. He turned a little more towards her. "What happened? Are you okay? How's Haru?"

"He's okay. He's with Natsu."

"Natsu huh?"

"Yes. And don't start getting weird."

"I don't get weird," Sting scoffed.

Lucy rolled her eyes and nudged his ribs. "You do. Whenever I mention Natsu you act weird."

Sting frowned. "Do not," he mumbled.

Lucy snickered and nudged his ribs again. "So, which one is yours?" she asked again.

"Second row, fourth one from the right," he said.

Lucy smiled and squeezed his hand. "I should've known. He looks just like Yukino."

Sting smiled at that. They were quiet for a while, just watching his son blink around at the room with his big, beautiful eyes before Lucy's phone vibrated.

"Something wrong?" he asked as she looked over the text and gave a quick reply.

Lucy shook her head, a soft smile pulling at her lips. "No. Natsu just wanted to know if he could take Haru out to the gardens for a bit. I told him that's fine. He needs the fresh air."

"Natsu?"

"No, you dingus. Haru. He's...we had a rough day. It's why we were late."

Sting nodded, waiting for Lucy to tell him what was really wrong when she was ready. He didn't have to wait long before she gave him a sad smile, her eyes never leaving the nursing room. "I had to tell Haru his father wasn't ever coming back. Again. He...he thought he could wish him back from a dragon. Thought that for a while, actually, but today he ran away during the game to find the dragon and get that wish. Natsu's grandma found him and Reiki in the woods and they were okay, but it terrified me more than anything."

She closed her eyes and sucked in a shakey breath and Sting knew she was trying to hold back her tears for his benefit. "I should've talked to him about this long before now."

He turned and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you _dare_ blame yourself. Not for any of it."

She gave a weak chuckle and leaned closer to his chest. "Eucliffe...I...things only got this bad because I was too scared to tell Haru the truth. I-I should of-"

"You didn't want to crush his hopes and dreams, sis. That doesn't make you a bad parent. It makes you a concerned one who doesn't know what to do in a shitty situation."

She sighed and gave his middle a tight squeeze. "Sometimes I feel like I'm letting him believe a truth so much it becomes a lie. I _know_ magic is real, that it's our love and _his_ love that's still there and always will be, but then Haru looks up at the stars and says that's where his dad is, like he's just off on a business trip and will come home any day now and I just... I nod and say yes because it sounds better than the truth."

Sting pulled her closer. He wanted to tell Lucy she was wrong. That she was doing the best she could and everything she did was always for Haru. She was _trying_ , and Sting wasn't sure if there was anything else she could do. It was a fine line to walk not to take away someone's hopes but not grow them out of proportion either. Especially when that person was a child, so easily swayed one way or the other. But he knew she wasn't ready to hear any of that. Not now.

"I miss him so much, Eucliffe," she sobbed. "I thought coming home would make it easier to think of him without feeling like I was missing a part of me but I just feel so confused." She took a shakey breath. "I don't know what I should do."

Sting dropped his cheek against the top of her head. His first thought was that this was Natsu's fault. Maybe if he wasn't so... _involved_ in Lucy and Haru's life things wouldn't be so hard for her. But he knew this was bigger than Natsu. That this was something Lucy had been carrying on her shoulders for months.

He looked over her head at his son and stared at his big eyes.

"Remember that first week after mom died?" he whispered into her hair. "It was awful. Dad had locked himself in his office and was just drinking _everything_ and I wouldn't talk at all. I thought we were broken. That dad would never be the same and our family was gone. I was so scared. And then one day you walked into my room and made me go out to the garden and we just sat under the willow and you read me a story. I can't even remember what it was now but that didn't matter. What mattered was that you were _there._ You were smiling at me like we could still be happy together and you were so brave that it made me feel brave too."

He pulled back and looked down at his sister. She'd always been his hero and Sting was sure that would never change.

"That's what you do, sis. You hope and believe in people and magic and it makes everyone around you feel stronger because they learn to see it too. I know you're worried about Haru but I also know he'll be okay because he has you."

Lucy sniffed and bit her lip. "Only a dad for a few hours and already dealing out advice. Who knew a baby was all you needed to grow up?"

Sting rolled his eyes but felt a knot in his chest loosen. He never did like to see Lucy feel so small. "Harhar."

He turned back to the window, leaving his arm slung over Lucy's shoulder while she leaned into his side. They stood there for a while just watching the baby before Sting whispered, "Yukino started to hemorrhage after she had the baby." Lucy glanced at him from the corner of her eye but she waited for him to continue. Just like he waited for her. "S-she...she passed out from loosing so much blood. I thought I was gonna lose her..."

"You didn't."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "I didn't." He swallowed and clutched her hand tightly in his. "I don't know what I'd do without her, Lucy. She's _everything_ and for a moment I just felt, I don't know, lost I suppose." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I need her, sis. I couldn't raise our kid on my own. I don't know how I'd do it."

 _I don't know how you do it_. He didn't say it but he knew Lucy understood what he meant. Knew she understood that he thought she was stronger because she could do something that he couldn't. That their dad couldn't.

She turned her head and kissed his temple. "You wouldn't be alone, stupid. I'd be there for you like you've been here for me."

"Always," he promised.

Lucy smiled and dropped her head on his shoulder. "Always."

They were quiet again, just looking at the baby and holding each other up. Yukino was everything but Lucy had always been Sting's person. The one who always supported him through everything and was always there to pull him up when he fell and push him along when he was too stubborn to move. He'd needed her when they were kids and he needed her now.

"What's his name?" she asked.

Sting grinned and felt his chest swell with pride even as he slumped against Lucy's side. "Weiss Agria Heartfillia. It means white. Yuki liked it."

Lucy grinned. "Weiss Agria Heartfillia. I love it."

 _Me too,_ he thought.

A few minutes later, when a nurse walked over to them and told him Yukino was awake and asking for him he realized the trembling in his hands had stopped.

Natsu stood in the waiting room surrounded by his family and friends, and half of Magnolia besides, with Haru in his arms. His mom had rushed over to greet him, followed closely by his sister and dad. He'd leaned down to let her kiss his cheek, her eyes briefly flicking to Haru in question but Natsu quietly muttered he'd tell her later and she'd thankfully dropped it. His father pressed a cup of lukewarm tea into his free hand and though it tasted old and weak Natsu was greatful all the same. They led him over to a seat and Natsu sat down with a relieved sigh.

His mom told him the details of what happened to Yukino. Nothing serious but many poeple were rattled all the same. Sting in particular. His dad showed up with a juice box a moment later for Haru and the kid finally raised his head from Natsu's scarf. He took it with a murmured thanks and sipped it slowly as he huddled against Natsu's chest. They sat there together for a while before Natsu remembered the paste his grandma gave him that was still in his pocket.

"Here, ma. Gran made it for Yukino."

"Oh, good. I know she'll need this." She gave his arm a squeeze. "I'll be right back. Better let the nurses know how to use this."

She stood and hurried off. After a few more minutes of people rushing up to talk about what had happened Haru burried his face into Natsu's scarf and hadn't come out since. That was when Natsu decided they needed to get away from the crowd.

He knew the hospital had a small garden in the center courtyard and it seemed the perfect place to let Haru relax without too many people crowding around. Haru didn't look up on the elevator down or the walk through the halls to the courtyard's enterance. The courtyard wasn't very big, about an acre or two, but there were a few paths and at this time of year the flowers were in full bloom. Natsu paused at the old gumball machine set up to give out bird seed along the main path before he sat on one of the few benches around the center of the garden.

"Hey, little man. You wanna feed some birds?"

Haru shook his head, still clinging to Natsu's shoulders.

"No? Well, I do. And I think I've got some seeds here..." He tossed out a few seeds and several birds fluttered down from the trees at their feet. "Oh, look!" he fake whispered. "A robin. And a finch. Several sparrows, not too surprisin' there. And a bluejay." He let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Quite the sight."

As he listed off some of the birds Haru slowly peeked out from Natsu's scarf and shifted to see the birds better. "Can I feed them?" he whispered.

"Sure thing, kiddo."

Haru tossed a small handful that instantly had more birds swooping down. "What are those called?" he asked, pointing to the new arrivals.

"Well, that black one is a red winged black bird. See the red patches on his wings? The blue and white ones with the yellow belly are called a blue tit bird," Haru snickered at that and Natsu chuckled as well, "and that gold one is a goldfinch. Not very creative names."

Haru dropped his head against Natsu's shoulder as he tossed some more seed to the birds. "How do you know their names?"

"Well," Natsu sighed, "I have a big book at home that has every type of bird in it. Even the ones in Alvarez." He looked down at Haru and grinned. "Plus, me and my dad used to go bird watchin' when I about your age. He used to tell me about all the different birds we saw. What they were called. Where they migrated to. What they liked to eat best. It was fun."

Haru looked down, shifting the bird seed around in his palm. "Me and my dad used to collect leaves together. We put them in a big book." Haru curled in on himself a little as he spoke. "I'd get to pick out one leaf from the park and dad would help me press it and then he'd write where we'd found it and what tree it was from." He bit his lip and twisted his shirt with one hand. "...I haven't gotten a new leaf since he died."

He mumbled the last part and Natsu felt a twinge in his chest. He eyed the boy for a moment, watching as Haru tugged hard at his shirt while tossing the rest of the bird seed to the ground. Natsu sighed and placed a hand over Haru's to stop him from twisting his shirt anymore.

"You wanna know a secret about me, Haru?"

The boy peeked up at him and blinked. "A-a secret?"

"Well, the town knows, so it's a big secret, but it's something I only really talk about with my friends." Natsu winked and ruffled Haru's hair. "You wanna hear it?"

Haru nodded, already perking up.

"I was adopted. My old mom and dad who had me in the hospital died when I was really young and then my new mom and dad got me and brought me home to be in their family." Natsu gave Haru a serious look. "I'm not ashamed of it, and I'm really proud of both of my parents and who they helped me become, understand?"

Haru nodded and frowned. "You have two moms and two dads?"

"I like to think I do. You already met my new mom and dad-"

"Pops and Grandeeney."

"That'd be the ones!" he grinned. "Even if they weren't my _first_ parents they're still my mom and dad and they were the ones who raised me and taught me so much. I can't remember my old parents before they died, but I've seen pictures of them and I know they loved me a lot."

"What were they like? Was your old dad funny like pops?"

Natsu chuckled. He wasn't sure why his dad had Haru call him pops. He'd only ever had Emma call him that. Most people just called him by his name, though there were still some who called him Chief from his time as a fireman. Natsu shook his head as he thought of Haru's question. "Maybe. In a lot of the pictures I have of him he's laughing, or smiling really big. My old mom used to be a veterinarian, like me, ya know?"

Haru shook his head, eyes wide.

"Yeah. Kinda the reason I went to vet school. I'd always loved animals and if I could also share that piece of myself with my old mom then all the better."

Haru bit his lip and looked down at his lap. "Mom says that even though my dad is gone he still loves me, cause love never dies or goes away, and that he's up in the stars with my grandma and grandpa." He peeked up at Natsu, "Is that where your old parents are?"

Natsu hummed and settled back on the bench a little more. "Yeah. I think that might be true. I actually think I'm pretty lucky. Most people only get one mom and one dad but sometimes they get another and I think that's great." Natsu grinned, "It's like a bonus!"

Haru smiled slightly, his fingers loosening around his shirt. "I had a friend back in Crocus who's mom and dad got div...divorced," he said, frowning at the word. "Her mom got married to another lady and then she had two moms and one dad." He looked up at Natsu, "Is that what being adopted is like?"

"Kind of," Natsu said, scratching his neck. "It dependes on what happened to the old parents. If they're...still around." Natsu wasn't sure if he should really try to explain that some kids were up for adoption cause their birth parents didn't want them, whatever the reason was. That seemed a bit too much to talk about with a seven year old, and given the last time Natsu talked with Haru for a while the kid ran away he was definately gonna tread lightly.

Haru mulled that over for a bit as he watched the birds. Most had flown back to the branches leaving only some sparrows and a bluejay to pick at the last bits of seed. "Soooooo...does that mean that...maybe I could...get another dad. Someday. Like you did?"

Natsu sighed. "That kinda depends more on your mom, little man," he said.

Haru lowered his eyes and nodded. "Right..."

Natsu bit his lip before wrapping an arm around Haru. "You know the great thing about dads? They can be anyone. They can be your first dad or a second one. A grandpa or an uncle that teaches you how to be a good person. They can even be a friend sometimes."

Haru blinked and looked up but Natsu was smiling as he watched the birds. He hadn't ever heard of a dad not being a dad before. But his mom had always told him that a family was more than just a mom, dad and kids. A family could be big or small, relatives or from different places. That was why love was magic. It could be anything.

"See, what makes a dad different, what makes him so special, is that he's someone you can look up to. Someone who you want to be like, and that can be anyone really. Getting a second dad is kinda more up to your mom but you can still have someone who acts like a dad to you. Who inspires you."

Haru's eyes widened even as the sun peeked out from the clouds and shone brightly on Natsu's face. He looked like he was glowing...

"Even if you don't get a second dad, Haru, you can still have someone to look up to." He turned and grinned down at him and Haru felt his breath catch as he stared up at Natsu. "You can still have a hero. Because that's what a dad _really is_. He's your own hero. You just have to look for one a little bit now." He winked and ruffled Haru's hair. "But that's kinda your thing, ain't it? Lookin' for hidden treasures."

Haru sat there in awe as he looked up at Natsu's kind eyes and big smile. Maybe Haru didn't need to look for his dad. Maybe...he could find a new one instead of his dragon. Maybe...

They sat on the bench for a little longer until Natsu's phone rang and he said it was Haru's mom. He put it on speaker and Haru mumbled a soft hello as he played with the ends of Natsu's scarf. His mom said his new nephew was with his aunt and uncle and that they wanted Haru to come meet him. Natsu had given a loud, "Aye sir," and shoved his phone back into his pocket. He moved to stand with Haru still in his arms but Haru kicked his feet a little.

"I can walk," he said.

"Yeah? Well in that case, move your butt. We got a baby to see!"

Haru grinned as he followed Natsu from the garden. At the edge of the path he paused and looked down at the ground. There were leaves all over but there was one that stood out to him the most. Haru bent down and carefully picked it up. It was a deep red with seven points like a big star. Haru turned it over in his hands, looking it over to make sure it was perfect. _A red star_ , he thought. His mom said red stars happened just before a big explosion that made a bunch of new stars and planets. It was like the end of one thing and the start of something else.

"Perfect," he whispered.

He hurried after Natsu and, holding the leaf in one hand, reached out and took Natsu's hand beside him.

Natsu drove Lucy and Haru back home late that evening. By the time they entered Magnolia it was just starting to get dark and Haru was passed out on Lucy's lap. They hadn't talked much on the ride home, only a few whispered converstations about how Yukino and Weiss were and when they could come home. Natsu knew he should've brought up his story to Haru already but he'd kept putting it off. Thinking he'd wait for Lucy to see the baby and be with her family. He'd wait for Haru to fall asleep. He'd wait to drop her off at her house. He'd wait. And wait.

He let out a deep breath as he pulled up in her drive and parked his truck. Beside him Lucy shifted Haru in her arms but made no move to get out.

"Thank you for driving us home. And tell Gajeel I really appreciate him taking Yukino's van up to Onibus."

Natsu shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's fine. Just figured you wouldn't want to drive home alone."

Lucy smiled. "Yeah..."

She looked at him a little longer, not saying anything and Natsu almost wanted to laugh that Lucy seemed to be waiting for him now, too. He cleared his throat and opened his door. "So, I'll...uh, get the door for you."

He rounded the front of the truck and opened the passenger door just as Lucy carefully unclipped Haru's seat belt and tucked him closer to her chest. "Want me to get him?" he asked.

"It's fine," she said, voice soft as Haru pressed closer to her. "I don't think he'd let go of me for long anyway." She glanced down at her son. "He'll probably want to sleep with me tonight."

Natsu hummed and held out a hand for her to hold as she slid from the truck, looking her over. There were bags under her eyes and still some red splotches on her cheekbones dispite the fact she hadn't cried for several hours, but she still looked fierce. Just as she had when marching through the forest after Haru. She held her son close to her chest as she walked up the drive, tall and strong and Natsu felt a burst of pride and awe flare in his chest.

Lucy was amazing.

He grabbed her purse from the dash and Haru's bag from the back seat and quickly followed after her. Lucy was already walking up the stairs. "I'm going to try to put him to bed. If you'd like, you could make some tea. Your grandma gave me some. It's in my bag."

"Sure thing."

He watched her walk upstairs a moment longer before heading down the hall to the kitchen. He filled the kettle and turned on the stove before grabbing two cups from the cupboard and moving to the pantry to get some honey. He was just opening the draw to get a spoon when he realized how weird it was for him to know where everything was in Lucy's kitchen. He'd been over several times before but it took him three months to know where the silverware was in his last girlfriend's appartment.

He shook his head, "You're being rediculous."

"I won't argue with that but what exactly are you talking about?"

He looked over his shoulder as Lucy walked in and sat at the table. "Nothin'. How's Haru?"

"He's alright. Curled up in my bed with his pillow asleep." She took a deep breath. "He just needs time."

Natsu nodded and sat down next to her while waiting for the water to heat. "And what about you? How're you doin'?"

She gave him a weak smile. "I'll be okay. Things just need to _settle down_ for a bit so I can catch my breath, you know?"

Natsu nodded. "Yeah. I get it." He took a deep breath and rubbed his neck. "Look, Luce. There's something-"

The kettle whistled and Natsu snapped his mouth shut. Lucy sighed and moved to stand but Natsu leaped to his feet. "I'll get it! You sit."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Alright."

Natsu busied himself with making the tea, adding a spoonful of honey to his own before taking the two mugs back to the table. Lucy took hers with a greatful sigh. She held the warm mug close to her chin and closed her eyes to take a deep breath of the rising steam.

"What flavor is this anyway?" she asked.

Natsu took a long sip from his mug, smacking his lips at the taste. "Blackberry. There's a hint of mint too, but Gran knows how to blend it." He looked up at Lucy and grinned. "I swear, if she hadn't become a natural healer she could've started her own tea line. Blackberry and mint. Cinnamon and vanilla. Rosemary and pine-"

"She has pine flavored tea?" Lucy wrinkled her nose at the thought and Natsu couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah. I know it sounds grose, especially with rosemary, but it's actually not bad. Helps with a sore throat too. I always have a tin of it during winter."

Lucy smiled. "I'll have to ask her about it when I see her again." She took a sip of her own tea and gave a pleased hum. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" she asked, tapping her finger against the rim of her cup as she took another sip.

"O-oh. Well, uh," he shifted in his chair and leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. "Listen, Lucy. You know I'd never do anythin' to hurt you or Haru, right? You both mean a lot to me. You're my friend and Haru's, well, Haru's my friend too. You know that right?"

Lucy frowned and nodded. "Yes...I know that. You're my friend too."

Natsu nodded.

"Is...is something wrong?" Lucy asked.

Natsu scratched his cheek. "No, I mean, not really. It's about what happened earlier today. With Haru runnin' off." Lucy sat her cup aside and nodded for him to continue. "I think I gave him the idea to run off. Well, maybe not to run off but to go lookin' for the dragon for sure."

Lucy raised an eyebrow. "Um...Natsu. Haru's been after that dragon before we even met you. I told him about it the day we arrived in town." She lowered her eyes and started twisting her fingers together. Natsu blinked at the familiar gesture before Lucy murmured, "I didn't have the heart to tell him that no dragon could bring his father back so I let him go on believing it was true. I-I know I should've put a stop to this before today but-" She closed her eyes and sighed. "That's not important now. What happened happened and I don't blame you for the story you told him about that dragon saving you."

Natsu shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm talking about. See, at the park he asked me about the dragon and I kinda told him some silly story about it livin' in a big cave in the forest and how it liked water. I'm betting that's why he and Reiki went towards the river. Point is, I shouldn't have told him that story, and I didn't mean to, I don't know, add fuel to the fire. I guess..."

He trailed off and stared down at the grain in the table. Lucy was quiet for a while before she picked up her mug and took a long drink. "I think that hardest thing to do is to try to explain death to a child," she said at last.

Natsu looked up at her but Lucy was looking out the window. He knew she was talking about her husband and that in itself was a big deal. Lucy hadn't talked about her previous husband before. Natsu hadn't even been sure if he'd passed or left her and Haru before today. He waited for Lucy to go on, knowing if she wanted to talk about this with him now she'd do it when she was ready.

"I don't know if it's easier if you believe in an afterlife or not. I mean, either way you have to tell a little boy his father's gone and he can't be with him anymore. I've tried to make it as bearable as possible but today..." She sighed and took a deep breath. "Today I had to be very blunt. I couldn't risk Haru thinking otherwise and running off again. What if he'd gotten hurt? Or Reiki? I couldn't risk that happening again and I had to do something very hard today."

She shook her head and finally looked at him. "But so did you. You're a good man, Natsu. Someone that I know Haru admirers and I know you had the best intentions with what you did. Hell, I'm sure what you said wasn't even that bad. Haru just takes an idea and _runs_ with it. Won't stop. Won't even walk the first steps. Just runs." She gave him a soft smile and Natsu smiled too. "He's like his father in that way, I suppose."

Natsu reached out and took her hand. For brief moment he was reminded of when he'd first held her hand right here in her kitchen. It was only a few days ago but it felt like something had changed between them. Or maybe in him.

"I get it, Luce. This shit sucks."

She tossed her head back and laughed before covering her mouth with her hand. Natsu felt a warm feeling in his chest at the fact she hadn't let go of his hand. "Yeah. That it does. But we'll get through it," she said, brown eyes glittering as she looked at him and for a moment Natsu wasn't sure if she meant just her and Haru or her, Haru and himself.

A small part of him hoped for the later and maybe that was why he moved his hand from just sitting over hers to actually holding it. Letting his thumb stroke over her knuckles. "I had a talk with Haru at the hospital today," he added.

Lucy blinked at their hands briefly before taking her mug and taking a sip. "Oh. And he didn't run off after?"

Natsu grinned. "Nah. This talk didn't have any dragons to chase."

"Good."

"I talked to him about what makes a dad so special. Nothin' too deep, or anything. Just how they can be different people and how you could have more than one. I think he understood. At the very least I don't think he'll start lookin' for a dragon again but for a new hero instead." He took a deep breath. "I told him I was adopted and how I have two parents, each one different but how they all loved me and how they were so important in my life."

He glanced up at Lucy and she was looking at him with warm eyes and a soft smile. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and Natsu felt his neck heat even as he smiled back.

"Thank you, Natsu," she said, and he knew that was all she'd say about it unless he brought it up again.

He felt his shoulders relax and sighed in relief. He had trusted Lucy not to make much of a fuss over him being adopted (she didn't seem like someone who placed a standard on what made a family) but it was still nice to know she wouldn't look at him any different. It got tiresome explaining his family to others when they tried to make it bigger than what it was to him.

Family was family no matter how it looked, and having someone accept that wasn't as common place as Natsu would've liked.

Natsu paused and bit his lip, a sudden thought coming to him. Lucy was still holding his hand, her own thumb softly pressing on the knuckles on his fingers to a slow rythem he didn't know but he liked it anyway. He took a long gulp from his tea, letting it warm his stomach which had suddenly decided to twist into knots. "I still feel a bit bad about what happened. Let me make it up to you and Haru."

Lucy cocked her head and looked at him curiously. "Make it up to us?"

He smiled. "Have dinner with me next Sunday. I don't work and I'll grill some hotdogs, make my famous chilli and you and Haru can just relax on the porch. It'll be good, yeah?"

Lucy chuckled. "I don't think that will work. After his stunt today Haru's gonna be grounded for a week at least."

"Next next Sunday, then."

Lucy smirked and shook her head. "Anyone ever told you you're a bit stubborn."

"A few. Mostly it's hardheaded."

She smiled. "Well, at least I can handle that," she said, and Natsu's heart flipped.

Haru was board. Really, really board.

He'd already sat in his room and read through every book he had, placed his dinosaurs on the shelf in the corner so they looked like a scene from a movie three different times and made a fort on his bed from his pillows and blankets. There wasn't anything else to do. His mom said he had to stay in the house but he couldn't watch tv or play with the puppies all day so he'd stayed in his room mostly. He still had all his toys but Haru was board playing with them for the fourth day in a row.

He groaned and flopped back on his pillow and looked up at the light shining through his pale blue blanket. If he squinted his eyes it almost looked like the sky and the sun. He looked out the window he'd made in his fort that looked out his real window at the tree outside. He wanted to go outside. He had his window open and could smell the grass and dirt from the garden and wanted to try looking for more treasures. Or maybe just play a game. Something.

He rolled over on his side and pulled his tin box over to his chest. He'd already taken out the fairy soldiers and sat them against the fort's door to guard it from any sprites. He didn't want them stealing his treasures (they'd already gotten his green super-bouncy ball and Haru had to keep the blue one in his tin box now so they wouldn't take that one either).

He had his stethoscope around his neck and the witch's hair pin was stuck through his sheet keeping the door closed. Haru sat up and looked into the tin box. The snake skin was still there and so were the pretty rocks he'd found but there was also the leaf he'd taken from the hospital.

Haru carefully pulled it out and held the red star leaf over his head. It caught the light and glowed like a real star and Haru smiled. He remembered what Natsu had told him about how a dad could be anyone. How they were really someone's hero and Haru could have more than one hero. The Ten Wizard Saints had ten heros and each one was different, after all, so it made sense.

He smiled. Natsu was right. His dad would always be Haru's hero but he could have another too. And Haru was starting to think he may have found one...

Haru jumped when there was a knock at his door. "Haru. Can I come in?"

"Uh...one second, mom!" he called.

He sat up and carefully put his red star leaf back in his tin box with the snake skin and rocks. He shut the lid and slid the box under his green pillow. "Okay, you can come in now."

He flipped up the flap that covered the other window that looked over his room. His mom walked in with a plate and a cup with his favorite bendy straw in it. "I brought you lunch. Peanut butter and banana, some chips and juice."

Haru grinned and reached trough the window to take it. He sat the plate carefully on his lap and took a bite of the sandwich. His mom had cut it in four squares, just how he liked it.

"Mom. I'm boooaarddd," he groaned.

His mom laughed. "You're still grounded for two more days. I think you'll make it."

Haru frowned and took a sip from his straw. "Yeah, but there's nothing to doooooo." He peeked up at her and smiled. "Can't I be grounded outside?"

She shook her head. "Not this time. But I'll tell you what. Tomorrow when we go visit Sting and Yukino and the baby we can take a walk around your uncle's pond for a bit. Okay?"

Haru frowned, puffing out his bottom lip. His uncle's pond was small. And his mom never let him do anything fun like feed Lector or try to catch the fat frog that liked to sit on the big rock. At least seeing the baby would be fun. At the hospital Haru had felt too bad to hold Weiss, his stomach was twisted in knots and his eyes had itched from crying, but maybe tomorrow he could try to hold Weiss then. Maybe show him the secret treasures Haru had found.

But not the red star leaf. That secret was only for him.

"Okay..."

His mom smiled and leaned down so she could look through the window at him. "You can't go on an adventure every day, Haru. Some days you gotta sit inside and do boaring things."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because it makes your mom feel better." Haru frowned and took another sip of his juice. They had already talked about why was grounded and why what he did was wrong. Haru felt bad about making him mom feel so scared and sad. He'd just wanted to help...

"Now, I'll be downstairs if you need me," she said. "Do you want the door open or closed?"

"Closed, please," he mumbled.

His mom nodded and kissed two fingers before tapping them to his cheek. Haru smiled and leaned his head out the window as she walked away. "Mom?"

She turned at his door, "Yes?"

"Can we play a game later? Maybe that card game you showed me before?"

She nodded. "Sure, Haru."

Haru nodded and bit his lip before asking, "Can we play it outside?"

His mom raised and eyebrow. "Well see," she said but her lips twitched and Haru grinned as she closed the door behind her.

Haru shuffled back on his bed and picked up oneof his books. He looked through the pictures in his mythical creatures book as he ate his lunch, makinng sure to read the part about witches really well cause he still thought Porlyusica was one. He put his plate and cup on the window sill and had just gotten to the part about shadow world creatures when a huge wasp flew through his window and right past his nose.

"Ahhhh!" Haru jumped back against his pillows and accidentally kicked his book away. The wasp flew over his head, smacking into the roof of his fort and Haru kicked at it but instead of flying back outside it went through his fort window into his room.

"Oh no!" he cried and sat up to flip down the flap over the window. Haru turned and looked over at his fairy soldiers. "We're under attack warriors! Is it the sprites? Did you see him?"

One of the soldiers was lying down on the book, his small thorn sword pointing at a picture of a vampire.

"Oh, of course!" Haru gasped, snatching his book up and looking over the picture. "He turned himself into a bat so he could go out in the sun. That's smart. We never saw it coming." He lifted the corner of the flap up and peeked out. The vampire was flying around his dinosaurs before it landed on the head of the apatosaurus. Haru shut the flap and turned back to his soldiers.

"He's going after the villagers, we need to save them." He shut his book and put in back with the pile in the corner of his fort and placed one soldier on top. "Guard the Royal Library, the rest of you get ready to fight!"

Haru's head snapped down to one soldier with a pebble battle axe. "What do you mean we can't fight a vampire? We have to!"

The soldier tipped forward and fell over.

"Garlic, huh? Well, lucky for you, your with a dragon hunter and I'm always prepared." Haru pulled out his tin box and got out his blue super-bouncy ball. "See. Garlic."

Haru shuffled forward to his fort window on his knees and while holding the super-bouncy garlic ball in one hand carefully grabbed the flap with the other. He paused and took a deep breath. "Ready...aaaaaaannndd...NOW!"

He threw open the flap and spotted the vampire in the corner of his room on the wood. Haru aimed and threw his super-bouncy garlic ball as hard as he could. It smacked into the corner with a loud bang that made the vampire buzz around the ceiling, then flung across the room to the other wall, hit that, then went up and hit the ceiling, then the floor, then Haru's shelf with all the dinosaurs on it, knocking a t-rex and an iguanodon to the floor before bouncing across the floor and then rolling under his desk.

Haru peeked up over the edge of his fort window and saw the vampire still flying very fast around the room. "Darn. Missed him," he mumbled.

"Haru!" his mom yelled. "No super-bouncy balls!"

"Sorry!" he yelled, sitting up a little. " _Gah!_ "

He dropped down to his bed and threw his green pillow over his head as the vampire flew through his fort and back outside. "We won!" he cried, but just to be safe he lowered his window so it was only open a crack. "See, men. I told you we could do it," he said to his soldiers. There was a thud behind him as four more dinosaurs fell off the self. "Oops..."

Haru crawled out of his fort and slid to the floor. Beating a vampire was fun but now he'd have to set up his dinosaurs again. He sat down on the floor and started picking them up. That was when he noticed the way part of the wooden wall was popped off. It was right where he'd thrown his super-bouncy ball and the part that was hanging off wasn't that big. It kind of looked like...

"...A door!" he gasped.

Shoving his dinosaurs away, Haru reached out and tugged at the plank of wood until it came off and he sat it to the side. The hole wasn't that big. It was only about half as tall as the other doors in the house but it was thin too. It kinda reminded Haru of the attic door at Reiki's, only this was on the wall and no one could see it when the door was closed. Or maybe the doggie door his friend back in Crocus had. It was on the kitchen door but no one could see it when they were outside, only when they were inside.

Haru's eyes widened. Secret doors always had something really cool behind them in games but Haru hadn't ever found one in real life before. He wondered where it went. He glanced over at Horologium sitting on his desk then looked back at the secret door.

"Grandma's hidden treasures..." he whispered.

Haru jumped up and ran over to his nightstand and got the big flashlight he always kept in the drawer. It used to be his dads and he had used it to look under Haru's bed for boggarts sometimes. Haru shoved on his shoes and went back to the secret door. He croutched down in front of it and flicked on the light to look inside. There was a ladder nailed right into the wood. It was really narrow and Haru was sure even his mom would have a hard time climbing them. But he could fit.

"Woah..."

Haru leaned his head in and turned the light up to the ceiling. The ladder didn't go that far but it looked like it went up to maybe an attic. But it wasn't like Reiki's. It was dark and Haru could hear the house groan with the wind over his head and it smelled like old wood and rain that had been sitting in puddles for a while.

He flicked the light around and saw something sparkle just behind the ladder. Haru narrowed his eyes and tried to see what it was. It looked like a small glass bottle but there was some kind of jewel haning from it too. Or maybe it was a little blue spoon. Haru gasped and leaned forward, trying to see more.

He'd found it! His grandma's hidden treasures! All along they'd been hiding in his own room and he never knew. Haru sat back on his heels and looked over his shoulder, biting his lip. Maybe he couldn't have an adventure outside but he could have one inside.

Turning back to the secret door, Haru squared his shoulders and slowly crawled inside.


End file.
